Processing systems and methods for halide scavenging

ABSTRACT

Systems, chambers, and processes are provided for controlling process defects caused by moisture contamination. The systems may provide configurations for chambers to perform multiple operations in a vacuum or controlled environment. The chambers may include configurations to provide additional processing capabilities in combination chamber designs. The methods may provide for the limiting, prevention, and correction of aging defects that may be caused as a result of etching processes performed by system tools.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.14/188,344, filed Feb. 24, 2014, which claims the benefit of priority ofU.S. Provisional Application No. 61/789,259 filed Mar. 15, 2013, both ofwhich are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety for allpurposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present technology relates to semiconductor systems, processes, andequipment. More specifically, the present technology relates to systemsand methods for reducing film contamination and improving devicequality.

BACKGROUND

Integrated circuits are made possible by processes which produceintricately patterned material layers on substrate surfaces. Producingpatterned material on a substrate requires controlled methods forremoval of exposed material. Chemical etching is used for a variety ofpurposes including transferring a pattern in photoresist into underlyinglayers, thinning layers, or thinning lateral dimensions of featuresalready present on the surface. Often it is desirable to have an etchprocess that etches one material faster than another facilitating, forexample, a pattern transfer process. Such an etch process is said to beselective to the first material. As a result of the diversity ofmaterials, circuits, and processes, etch processes have been developedwith a selectivity towards a variety of materials.

Etch processes may be termed wet or dry based on the materials used inthe process. A wet HF etch preferentially removes silicon oxide overother dielectrics and materials. However, wet processes may havedifficulty penetrating some constrained trenches and also may sometimesdeform the remaining material. Dry etches produced in local plasmasformed within the substrate processing region can penetrate moreconstrained trenches and exhibit less deformation of delicate remainingstructures. However, local plasmas may damage the substrate through theproduction of electric arcs as they discharge.

Thus, there is a need for improved systems and methods that can be usedto produce high quality devices and structures. These and other needsare addressed by the present technology.

SUMMARY

Systems, chambers, and processes are provided for controlling processdefects caused by moisture contamination. The systems may provideconfigurations for chambers to perform multiple operations in a vacuumor controlled environment. The chambers may include configurations toprovide additional processing capabilities in combination chamberdesigns. The methods may provide for the limiting, prevention, andcorrection of aging defects that may be caused as a result of etchingprocesses performed by system tools.

Substrate processing systems according to the present technology mayinclude a plurality of holding chambers, a plurality of loading chambersconfigured to receive substrates into a vacuum environment, and aninterface section having at least two interface transfer devicesconfigured to deliver substrates between the plurality of holdingchambers coupled with the interface section at a first location of theinterface section and the plurality of loading chambers coupled with theinterface section at a second location of the interface section oppositethe plurality of holding chambers. The systems may also include atreatment chamber positioned in vertical alignment to and coupled withat least one of the plurality of loading chambers. The systems mayinclude a plurality of process chambers, as well as a process transferdevice configured to deliver a substrate between any of the plurality ofloading chambers and any of the plurality of processing chambers whilemaintaining the substrate under vacuum conditions. The process transferdevice may also be configured to deliver substrates vertically to thetreatment chamber.

The processing systems may have the loading chambers and processchambers all on a first elevational plane of the system, and thetreatment chamber on a second elevational plane of the substrateprocessing system above the first elevational plane of the substrateprocessing system. The transfer device may be configured to maintainvacuum conditions while delivering substrates vertically to thetreatment chamber. The systems may include a plurality of treatmentchambers, wherein each treatment chamber is in vertical alignment to andcoupled with one of the plurality of loading chambers. The systems mayalso include two loading chambers and two treatment chambers, and theloading chambers may be disposed horizontally from one another.

The systems may further include a treatment plasma generating deviceseparate from and coupled with both of the treatment chambers. Thesystems may also include two treatment plasma generating devices, whereone of the treatment plasma generating devices may be coupled with oneof the treatment chambers and a second of the treatment plasmagenerating devices may be coupled with a second of the treatmentchambers. The treatment chamber may include components configured togenerate a direct plasma within the treatment chamber, and the directplasma may include a capacitively-coupled plasma. The treatment chambermay also include components configured to generate an ultraviolet lighttreatment within the treatment chamber. The holding chambers of thesystems may include at least one inlet port and may be configured toreceive a fluid through the inlet port and direct the fluid through theholding chamber and into the interface section. The holding chambers mayalso include at least one internal diffuser configured to direct thereceived fluid throughout the holding chamber. The system loadingchambers may include at least one heating device configured to heat theloading chamber up to about 300° C.

The processing systems may further include a wet etching chamber coupledwith the interface section at a third location of the interface sectionadjacent the first location and second location of the interfacesection. A storage chamber may also be coupled with the interfacesection at a fourth location of the interface section opposite the thirdlocation.

The processing chambers of the processing systems may be coupled aspairs of tandem processing chambers within the substrate processingsystem. The processing chamber may include at least two pairs of tandemprocessing chambers, where a first of the at least two pairs of tandemprocessing chambers may be configured to perform a silicon oxide etchingoperation, and the second of the at least two pairs of tandem processingchambers may be configured to perform a silicon etching operation.

Methods of processing a substrate are also described that may includetransferring a substrate from a holding chamber to a loading chamberwith a first transfer device. The methods may also include evacuatingthe loading chamber such that the substrate is maintained in a vacuumenvironment. The methods may include transferring the substrate from theevacuated loading chamber to a process chamber with a second transferdevice, and then transferring the substrate from the process chamber tothe loading chamber with the second transfer device. Once back in theloading chamber, the methods may include removing the vacuum conditionsfrom the loading chamber, and may finally include transferring thesubstrate from the loading chamber to a storage chamber with the firsttransfer device.

The methods may also include transferring the substrate to a wet etchingstation using the first transfer device prior to transferring thesubstrate to the holding chamber. The methods may further includetransferring the substrate from the process chamber to a treatmentchamber in vertical alignment to and coupled with the loading chamberwith the second transfer device prior to transferring the substrate tothe loading chamber. The treatment chamber of the methods may beconfigured to perform a scavenging operation to remove halide speciesfrom a silicon oxide material. The scavenging operation may include aplasma process, and may also include a UV treatment or an e-beamtreatment in disclosed embodiments.

The storage chamber may be continuously purged with an inert fluid suchthat the storage chamber comprises an inert environment, and indisclosed embodiments the storage chamber may be the holding chamber,although the storage chamber may also be a separate chamber from theholding chamber. The methods may also include heating the substrate to afirst temperature for a first period of time subsequently totransferring the substrate to the loading chamber. The process chambermay include a first process chamber, and the first process chamber maybe configured to perform an oxide etching process. The methods may alsoinclude transferring the substrate from the first process chamber to asecond process chamber prior to transferring the substrate to theloading chamber, and the second process chamber may be configured toperform a silicon etching process.

A computing system electronically coupled with and configured to provideoperating instructions to a substrate processing system is alsodescribed. The computing system may include one or more processors and amemory device communicatively coupled with the one or more processorsand having sets of instructions for performing operations. When the setsof instructions are executed by the one or more processors, they maycause the substrate processing system and/or a gas delivery system andthe individual chambers may be instructed to transfer a substrate from aholding chamber to a loading chamber with a first transfer device. Theinstructions may further cause the loading chamber to be evacuated suchthat the substrate may be maintained in a vacuum environment. Theinstructions may also cause the transfer of the substrate from theevacuated loading chamber to a process chamber with a second transferdevice, as well as the transfer of the substrate from the processchamber to a treatment chamber in vertical alignment to and coupled withthe loading chamber with the second transfer device. The executedinstructions may further cause the transfer of the substrate from thetreatment chamber to the loading chamber with the second transferdevice, followed by the removal of the vacuum conditions from theloading chamber. The executed instructions may additionally cause thetransfer of the substrate from the loading chamber to the holdingchamber with the first transfer device. The computer system, which maybe a controller, may also be electronically coupled with and configuredto provide instructions to a gas delivery system, and may cause the gasdelivery system to provide at least one precursor to the processchamber. When the substrate has been transferred back to the loadingchamber, the instructions may cause the processing system to heat theloading chamber from a first temperature up to a second temperature ofgreater than or about 200° C.

A combination processing chamber is also described that may include alower chamber housing and an upper chamber housing. The lower chamberhousing may define or include a first access on a first side of thelower chamber housing, and a second access on a second side of the lowerchamber housing opposite the first side of the lower chamber housing.The upper chamber housing may be coupled with the lower chamber housing,and may include a third access on a first side of the upper chamberhousing coinciding with the first side of the lower chamber housing, andan upper processing region at least partially defined from above by afaceplate disposed within the upper chamber housing.

The lower chamber housing may define a lower substrate region, and thelower substrate region may also include or be at least partially definedfrom below by a heater configured to heat the lower substrate region upto about 300° C. The lower substrate region may also be configured to beevacuated from atmospheric pressure to a second pressure belowatmospheric pressure, and the lower chamber housing may be configured tostructurally support pressure cycling from atmospheric pressure to lessthan or about 5 mTorr and back every 10 minutes.

The upper processing chamber may also include a temperature controldevice configured to maintain the temperature of a substrate disposedthereon between about 0° C. and about 600° C. The temperature controldevice may include a heater plate disposed within the upper chamberhousing to at least partially define the upper processing region frombelow. The upper processing region may also include a substrate supportdevice configured to support a substrate along an edge region andsuspend the substrate within the upper processing region. The chambermay have a remote plasma unit coupled with an upper portion of the upperchamber housing. An upper distribution region at least partially definedbetween the upper portion of the upper chamber housing and the faceplatemay also be included. The upper distribution region may include acentral distribution region and an edge distribution region partitionedfrom and radially distal to the central distribution region.

The combination chamber may further include a gas inlet assemblypositioned within the upper portion of the upper chamber housing andconfigured to deliver precursors into the upper distribution region. Thegas inlet assembly may be at least partially characterized by acylindrical shape, and a lower portion of the gas inlet assembly maydefine a plurality of gas delivery apertures radially distributed aboutthe lower portion of the gas inlet assembly. The gas inlet assembly mayalso include a bypass fluid channel configured to deliver at least oneprecursor around the cylindrically shaped portion of the gas inletassembly. The bypass fluid channel may include a first bypass sectionconfigured to direct the at least one precursor to the centraldistribution region, and the bypass fluid channel may include a secondbypass section configured to direct the at least one precursor to theedge distribution region.

The faceplate of the combination chamber may be coupled with amulti-position switch operable to connect the faceplate to an electricalpower source and a ground source in alternate switch positions. Thelower portion of the upper chamber housing may be grounded such thatwhen the faceplate is connected to the electrical power source a plasmais produced in the upper processing region. The lower portion of theupper chamber housing may also be electrically isolated from the rest ofthe upper chamber housing.

The disclosed technology may also include a treatment chamber. Thetreatment chamber may include a chamber housing having a bottom portioncoupled with a substrate load lock chamber. The treatment chamber mayalso include an inlet assembly configured to receive fluids into aninternal region defined within the chamber, and a faceplate disposedwithin the internal region and defining a distribution region from belowand a processing region from above within the chamber.

The faceplate may include a dielectric material such as quartz, and mayalso include a conductive material such that the faceplate may operateas an electrode. In such a configuration the chamber may be configuredto produce a plasma in the processing region. Components of the chambermay be lined or otherwise treated, and the inlet assembly may include aquartz liner, for example. The treatment chamber may also have an energyproduction unit coupled with the inlet assembly. The inlet assembly mayalso include a window, and the energy production unit may include alight source configured to provide ultraviolet light into the chamber.

The disclosed technology may also include methods of preventing surfacereactions on a treated substrate. The methods may include etching thesubstrate in a first etching process, and the first etching process maybe selective to silicon oxide over silicon. The methods may also includeetching the substrate in a second etching process, and the secondetching process may be selective to silicon over silicon oxide. Themethods may include heating the substrate to a first treatmenttemperature, and then transferring the substrate to a moisture-freeenvironment.

The substrate may be transferred to a chamber after heating thesubstrate, and a fluid may be continuously flowed through the chamber tomaintain the moisture-free environment. For the etching processes, thesecond etching process may include a fluorine-containing precursor andan oxygen-containing precursor. The first etching process may utilizes afluorine-containing precursor and a hydrogen-containing precursor. Inthe etching processes, a region of silicon oxide may be exposed to thesecond etching process, and the second etching process may produceradical fluorine species. These residual fluorine species may beincorporated with the silicon oxide or with other exposed materials suchas silicon nitride. The first temperature for the heating operation maybe greater than or about 150° C. The operations may similarly includeheating the substrate to a second temperature above or below the firsttemperature. The substrate may be maintained at the first temperaturefor a first period of time, and wherein the first period of time isgreater than or about 2 minutes. If a second heating operation isperformed, the substrate may be maintained at the second temperature fora second period of time that may be greater than or less than the firstperiod of time.

Methods of etching a substrate are also included that may includeproviding a substrate including silicon and having a silicon oxide layeroverlying the silicon. The methods may include etching the substrate ina first etching process, where the first etching process may beselective to silicon oxide over silicon. The substrate may be etched ina second etching process, where the second etching process may beselective to silicon over silicon oxide. The methods may also includeetching the substrate in a third etching process where the third etchingprocess may be selective to silicon oxide over silicon. In disclosedembodiments the first and third etching processes are similar etchingprocesses. The first and third etching processes may be performed in afirst process chamber, and the second etching process may be performedin a second process chamber. The third etching process may etch thesilicon oxide layer to remove a depth of at least about 5 Å of materialthat may include the residual halide species. The first and thirdetching processes may include exposing the substrate to anitrogen-containing precursor and a fluorine-containing precursor, wherethe fluorine-containing precursor has been flowed through a plasma toproduce plasma effluents. The second etching process comprises exposingthe substrate to a fluorine-containing precursor and anoxygen-containing precursor, where the fluorine-containing precursor hasbeen flowed through a plasma to produce plasma effluents. The siliconoxide layer may be exposed to the second etching process, and residualfluorine species may be incorporated with the silicon oxide layer.

Additional methods of etching a substrate are included that may alsoinclude providing a substrate including silicon and having a siliconoxide layer overlying the silicon. The process may include etching thesubstrate in a first etching process, and the first etching process maybe selective to silicon oxide over silicon. The methods may includeetching the substrate in a second etching process, where the secondetching process may be selective to silicon over silicon oxide. Themethods may also include treating the substrate with a third process.The silicon oxide layer may be exposed to the second etching processduring the processing. The second etching process may produce radicalfluorine species, and residual fluorine species may be incorporated withthe silicon oxide layer in certain processes.

The third process of the described methods may include directing plasmaeffluents at the surface of the substrate. The plasma effluents may beproduced from an inert precursor, and may remove a top surface from thesilicon oxide layer. In disclosed embodiments the third process mayinclude a wet etching process. In certain configurations, each of thefirst, second, and third processes may be performed in different processchambers. The wet etch may include hydrofluoric acid, such as DHF incertain embodiments that may be 200:1, 150:1, 100:1, 50:1, etc. or otherratios within, above, or below those listed. The wet etch may remove upto about 12 Å of the silicon oxide layer. In disclosed embodiments thethird process may include exposing the silicon oxide layer to deionizedwater. The deionized water may remove at least a portion of the residualfluorine species from the silicon oxide layer without etching thesilicon oxide layer.

The present technology also includes methods of removing contaminantsfrom a processed substrate having exposed silicon and silicon oxidesurfaces. The methods may include etching the substrate in an etchingprocess, and the etching process may be selective to silicon oversilicon oxide. The etching process may produce radical species, andresidual species from the radical species may be incorporated with thesilicon oxide layer. The methods may also include treating the substrateto remove at least a portion of the residual species from the siliconoxide surface. The etching process performed may include exposing thesubstrate to a fluorine-containing precursor and an oxygen-containingprecursor. The fluorine-containing precursor may have been flowedthrough a plasma to produce at least a portion of the radical species,which may include radical fluorine species.

The etching process may not etch or substantially may not etch thesilicon oxide layer. For example, only slight removal of the siliconoxide material may occur. The radical fluorine species may beincorporated with the silicon oxide layer in a profile such that theextent of incorporation diminishes at increasing depths of the siliconoxide film. The treatment that may be performed may be selected from thegroup consisting of thermal treatment, UV treatment, e-beam treatment,microwave treatment, a curing treatment, and plasma treatment. Thetemperature at which the treatment may be performed may be a temperaturebetween about 0° C. and about 800° C. Additionally, the pressure atwhich the treatment may be performed may be a pressure between about 1mTorr and about 700 Torr. Treating the substrate may include reducingthe amount of residual species in the silicon oxide layer to below orabout 20%. Treating the substrate may also include reducing the amountof residual species in the silicon oxide layer to below or about 10%, orto below or about 5%. In disclosed embodiments the treatment maysubstantially or essentially remove the residual halide at an uppersurface of the silicon oxide material. In such cases residual halidespecies may still be present at lower depths of the silicon oxidesurface.

The methods may also include transferring the substrate to a treatmentchamber for the treatment process. The substrate may be maintained undervacuum during the transfer to the treatment chamber, and treating thesubstrate may include exposing treatment species to an energy source toproduce energized treatment species configured to interact with theradical species. The treatment species may be selected from the groupconsisting of hydrogen-containing precursors, oxygen-containingprecursors, nitrogen-containing precursors, and inert precursors indisclosed embodiments, and in one example, the energy source used toenergize the treatment species may include a plasma that may be formedwithin or external to the treatment chamber for delivering energizedspecies to the substrate. The plasma utilized either internally orexternally may include a plasma selected from the group consisting ofcapacitively-coupled plasma, inductively coupled plasma, microwaveplasma, and toroidal plasma. The treatment species utilized may includeone or more precursors including a hydrogen-containing precursor thatbonds with the residual species. The methods may also includetransferring the substrate to a passivation chamber for a passivationprocess. During the transfer to the chamber in which passivation occurs,the substrate may be maintained under vacuum or within an inertenvironment. The passivation performed may include heating the substrateto a temperature greater than or about 150° C. for a period of timegreater than or about two minutes.

The disclosed technology may also include methods of removingcontaminants on a substrate having an exposed silicon oxide region andan exposed non-oxide region. The methods may include flowing afluorine-containing precursor into a remote plasma region of a substrateprocessing chamber fluidly coupled with a substrate processing region ofthe substrate processing chamber while forming a plasma in the remoteplasma region to produce fluorine-containing plasma effluents. Themethods may include etching the exposed non-oxide region utilizing theplasma effluents, and fluorine species comprising a portion of thefluorine-containing plasma effluents may be incorporated with thesilicon oxide region that may be exposed during the etching process. Themethods may include flowing a first treatment precursor into the remoteplasma region of a substrate processing chamber to produce treatmentplasma effluents, and flowing at least one additional treatmentprecursor into the substrate processing region that may interact withthe treatment plasma effluents. The methods may further include exposingthe silicon oxide region to the treatment precursors including treatmentplasma effluents to remove residual plasma effluents from the siliconoxide region.

The exposed non-oxide region of the substrate may include silicon,silicon nitride, or a metal in disclosed embodiments. The treatmentplasma effluents that may be used may at least partially dissociate theat least one additional treatment precursor in the substrate processingregion. By at least partially dissociating the precursor, completelydissociated species among combinations of partially dissociated speciesmay be formed. The at least partially dissociated at least oneadditional treatment precursor may interact physically or chemically,and may bond with the fluorine species incorporated with the siliconoxide region. The treatment precursor may include an inert or noblespecies, and may include a precursor selected from the group consistingof nitrogen, helium, argon, and xenon.

The at least one additional treatment precursor utilized may include ahydrogen-containing precursor, among other precursors. The exposure thatis performed to the silicon oxide material may cause a portion of thesilicon oxide material to be removed. The exposure may also remove atleast a portion of the fluorine species while maintaining or essentiallymaintaining the silicon oxide material. Accordingly, slight inadvertentremoval of the silicon oxide species may still be encompassed by themethods. The methods may be performed in a single chamber environment,which may allow the methods to occur in a substantially evacuatedenvironment, as well as in a stable or constant environment within thechamber. The exposure may be performed at a temperature between about 0°C. and about 800° C., among a host of temperatures within that range,and the exposure may also be performed at a pressure between about 1mTorr and about 700 Torr, among a variety of included pressures.

The present technology may still further include methods of removingcontaminants on a substrate having an exposed silicon oxide region andan exposed non-oxide region. The methods may include flowing afluorine-containing precursor into a remote plasma region of a substrateprocessing chamber fluidly coupled with a substrate processing region ofthe substrate processing chamber while forming a plasma in the remoteplasma region to produce fluorine-containing plasma effluents. Themethods may further include etching the exposed non-oxide regionutilizing the plasma effluents, where residual fluorine species may beincorporated within the silicon oxide region. The methods may furtherinclude flowing at least one treatment precursor into the substrateprocessing region, as well as exposing the silicon oxide region to theat least one treatment precursor to remove at least a portion of theresidual fluorine species.

The at least one treatment precursor may not be passed through a plasmaprior to being flowed into the substrate processing region, and indisclosed embodiments the processing region may be maintained plasmafree during the exposure. Accordingly, the treatment operation may beperformed entirely or substantially plasma free in disclosedembodiments. The flowing operation may include multiple processes thatmay include condensing water vapor on the surface of the silicon oxideregion, as well as flowing a nitrogen-containing precursor into thesubstrate processing region. These steps may be performed sequentially,and may be performed in direct sequence, or after the manipulation ofparticular system operations including temperature and pressure betweenthe steps. The nitrogen-containing precursor used in the treatmentprocess may include ammonia.

During the treatment, the water vapor may interact with the residualfluorine species. This may disrupt bonding or incorporation of theresidual species within the surface, and may for direct bonding withcomponents of the condensed water. The ammonia may subsequently interactwith either material or the combined materials to produce byproductsalong the silicon oxide region. The methods may further include raisingthe temperature in the chamber above a threshold temperature that maycause the byproducts to evaporate. In disclosed embodiments, thethreshold temperature may be above about 100° C., for example. Althoughin disclosed embodiments the process may minimally reduce the siliconoxide layer, the process may also substantially or essentially maintainthe silicon oxide material such that the thickness of the material isnot reduced, or is reduced below a certain level such as less than orabout 50%, 40%, 30%, 25%, 20%, 15%, 10%, 5%, 1%, etc., or not removed atall. Other methods and techniques as described throughout the presentdisclosure may similarly reduce the overall thickness of the material beany of the levels defined here. The process may also reduce theconcentration of fluorine within a surface layer of the silicon oxidebelow about 10%, which may include removing an amount of the siliconoxide material including the residual fluorine species, or be removingthe fluorine species from the silicon oxide material.

Such technology may provide numerous benefits over conventionaltechniques. For example, the systems and processes may provideadditional functionality with new chambers allowing treatment processesto be performed while maintaining a moisture-free environment. Theprocesses and systems may also provide improved processes that limitaging defects on substrates, and/or remove the underlying causes. Theseand other embodiments, along with many of their advantages and features,are described in more detail in conjunction with the below descriptionand attached figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the disclosedtechnology may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of thespecification and the drawings.

FIG. 1A shows a top plan view of an exemplary processing systemaccording to the disclosed technology.

FIG. 1B shows a top plan view of another exemplary processing systemaccording to the disclosed technology.

FIG. 2 shows a rear perspective view of an exemplary processing systemaccording to the disclosed technology.

FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional schematic of an exemplary processingchamber for use in a system according to the disclosed technology.

FIG. 4A shows another cross-sectional schematic of an exemplaryprocessing chamber according to the disclosed technology.

FIG. 4B shows a detailed partial view of components of the processingchamber shown in FIG. 4A.

FIG. 5 shows another cross-sectional schematic of an exemplaryprocessing chamber according to the disclosed technology.

FIG. 6 shows another cross-sectional schematic of an exemplaryprocessing chamber according to the disclosed technology.

FIG. 7 shows a bottom plan view of a showerhead according to thedisclosed technology.

FIG. 8 shows a bottom plan view of another showerhead according to thedisclosed technology.

FIG. 9 shows a rear perspective view of an exemplary processing systemaccording to the disclosed technology.

FIG. 10 shows a rear perspective view of an exemplary processing systemaccording to the disclosed technology.

FIG. 11 shows a rear perspective view of an exemplary processing systemaccording to the disclosed technology.

FIG. 12A shows an exemplary processing chamber coupleable with a loadingchamber according to the disclosed technology.

FIG. 12B shows a plan view of a cross-sectional portion of theprocessing chamber illustrated in FIG. 12A along line A-A.

FIG. 12C shows another plan view of a cross-sectional portion of theprocessing chamber illustrated in FIG. 12A along line A-A.

FIG. 13 shows an exemplary combination processing and loading chamberaccording to the disclosed technology.

FIG. 14 shows an exemplary process of wafer transport according to thedisclosed technology.

FIG. 15 shows a top plan view of an exemplary system illustrating wafertransport according to the disclosed technology.

FIG. 16 shows an exemplary method of deposition and etch processesaccording to the disclosed technology.

FIG. 17 shows an exemplary method of etch and treatment processesaccording to the disclosed technology.

FIG. 18 shows an exemplary method of etch and removal processesaccording to the disclosed technology.

FIG. 19 shows an exemplary method of etch and treatment processesaccording to the disclosed technology.

FIG. 20 shows an exemplary method of etch and exposure processesaccording to the disclosed technology.

FIG. 21 shows a simplified computer system that may be utilized toperform one or more of the operations discussed.

In the appended figures, similar components and/or features may have thesame numerical reference label. Further, various components of the sametype may be distinguished by following the reference label by a letterthat distinguishes among the similar components and/or features. If onlythe first numerical reference label is used in the specification, thedescription is applicable to any one of the similar components and/orfeatures having the same first numerical reference label irrespective ofthe letter suffix.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present technology includes improved systems and methods forreducing halide contamination of semiconductor substrate films. Thesystems and methods also provide improved process structures to limitmoisture interaction with processed substrates. Various dry etchingprocesses utilize halide-containing precursors in the processes. Whenselective etch processes are performed, the non-selective material, orthe material that is etched slower, or less, or not at all, may still beexposed to the precursors and chemicals used in the etch process. Forexample, certain etch processes that utilize radicalizedfluorine-containing precursors are selective to silicon, siliconnitride, and various metals as compared to oxide materials. When theetch process is performed, the oxide material may still be exposed tothe chemical etchants despite that the material is not removed. Incertain scenarios, radical fluorine or other radical halides produced inthe process may interact with and/or combine with the oxide material,such as a silicon oxide material. When the process is completed, thefluorine may still be incorporated within or bonded to the siliconoxide. The process may have been performed under vacuum or in an inertenvironment, however after the process is completed the substrate may beremoved from a vacuum environment and exposed to atmospheric conditions.This may occur both with transfer of the substrate within the processingsystem as well as transfer of the substrate to alternate processingsystems for additional operations.

When exposed to atmospheric conditions, aging defects may form thataffect the quality and strength of the dielectric. Without intending tobe bound by any particular theory, the inventors believe that moisturein the air may interact with the fluorine or other halides remainingwithin the oxide surface. For example, fluorine present within orattached to the oxide matrix may produce or resemble a fluorinatedsilicon oxide, such as of a formula SiOF_(x). When exposed to moisture,the water may interact with the oxide potentially according to thefollowing formula:SiOF_(x)+H₂O→H_(x)SiO₄+HF

This may produce silicic acid along the surface of the oxide materialproducing material defects or aging defects. Although the water may beremoved from the silicic acid to reform silicon oxide, the quality ofthe film may be affected, which may have an impact throughout subsequentwafer processes. In one example, such aging issues have been recognizedwith native oxide films, which are often one of the first layersoverlying the substrate. As such, when these films are impacted by agingdefects, the quality of the entire substrate may be affected orcompromised.

Accordingly, the systems and methods described herein provideflexibility in wafer processing to allow reduction in aging defects bymaterial removal, contaminant scavenging, and/or other operations. Theseand other benefits will be described in detail below.

I. System and Components

In order to better understand and appreciate the technology, referenceis now made to FIG. 1A, which shows a top plan view of an exemplarysubstrate processing system 100A configured to perform etchingoperations while limiting aging defects. In the figure, a pair of frontopening unified pods (“FOUPs”) 102 supply substrates of a variety ofsizes that are received by robotic arms 104 and placed into low pressureloading chambers 106 before being placed into one of the substrateprocessing chambers 108 a-f, positioned in tandem sections 109 a-c. Inalternative arrangements, the system 100A may have additional FOUPs, andmay for example have 3, 4, 5, 6, etc. or more FOUPs. The processchambers may include any of the chambers as described elsewhere in thisdisclosure. In disclosed embodiments the processing system includes aplurality of FOUPs or holding chambers. A second robotic arm or set ofrobotic arms 111 may be used to transport the substrate wafers from theloading chambers 106 to the substrate processing chambers 108 a-f andback through a transfer section 110. Two loading chambers 106 areillustrated, but the system may include a plurality of loading chambersthat are each configured to receive substrates into a vacuum environmentfor processing. Each substrate processing chamber 108 a-f, can beoutfitted to perform a number of substrate processing operationsincluding the dry etch processes described herein in addition tocyclical layer deposition (CLD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), chemicalvapor deposition (CVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD), etch,pre-clean, degas, orientation, and other substrate processes. In adisclosed embodiment, for example, the system may include at least twopairs of tandem processing chambers. A first of the at least two pairsof tandem processing chambers may be configured to perform a siliconoxide etching operation, and the second of the at least two pairs oftandem processing chambers may be configured to perform a silicon orsilicon nitride etching operation.

The substrate processing chambers 108 a-f may include one or more systemcomponents for depositing, annealing, curing and/or etching a dielectricfilm on the substrate wafer. In one configuration, two pairs of theprocessing chamber, e.g., 108 c-d and 108 e-f, may be used to perform afirst etching operation on the substrate, and the third pair ofprocessing chambers, e.g., 108 a-b, may be used to perform a secondetching operation on the substrate. In another configuration, all threepairs of chambers, e.g., 108 a-f, may be configured to etch a dielectricfilm on the substrate. In still another configuration, a first pair ofthe processing chambers, e.g., 108 a-b, may perform a depositionoperation, such as depositing a flowable film, a native oxide, oradditional materials. A second pair of the processing chambers, e.g.,108 c-d, may perform a first etching operation, and the third pair ofthe processing chambers, e.g., 108 e-f, may perform a second etchingoperation. Any one or more of the processes described may bealternatively carried out in chambers separated from the fabricationsystem shown in different embodiments. In disclosed embodiments detailedfurther below, the loading area 106 may be configured to performadditional etching, curing, or treatment processes. It will beappreciated that additional configurations of deposition, etching,annealing, and curing chambers for dielectric films are contemplated bysystem 100A.

The processing chambers mounted in one of the positions 108 may performany number of processes, such as a PVD, a CVD (e.g., dielectric CVD,MCVD, MOCVD, EPI), an ALD, a decoupled plasma nitridation (DPN), a rapidthermal processing (RTP), or a dry-etch process to form various devicefeatures on a surface of a substrate. The various device features mayinclude, but are not limited to the formation and/or etching ofinterlayer dielectric layers, gate dielectric layers, polysilicon gates,forming vias and trenches, planarization steps, and depositing contactor via level interconnects. In one embodiment, certain positions may beoccupied by service chambers that are adapted for degassing,orientation, cool down, analysis and the like.

For example, one chamber may include a metrology chamber that is adaptedto perform a preparation/analysis step and/or a post-processing/analysisstep to analyze a property of the substrate before or after performing aprocessing step in a processing sequence. In general, the properties ofthe substrate that can be measured in the metrology chamber may include,but are not limited to, the measurement of the intrinsic or extrinsicstress in one or more layers deposited on a surface of the substrate,film composition of one or more deposited layers, the number ofparticles on the surface of the substrate, and the thickness of one ormore layers found on the surface of the substrate. The data collectedfrom the metrology chamber may then be used by the system controller toadjust one or more process variables in one or more of the processingsteps to produce favorable process results on subsequently processedsubstrates.

System 100A may include additional chambers 105, 107 on opposite sidesof the interface 103. The interface section 103 may include at least twointerface transfer devices, such as robot arms 104, that are configuredto deliver substrates between the plurality of holding chambers or FOUPs102 and the plurality of loading chambers 104. The holding chambers 102may be coupled with the interface section 103 at a first location of theinterface section, and the loading chambers may be coupled with theinterface section 103 at a second location of the interface section 103that is opposite the plurality of holding chambers 102. The additionalchambers may be accessed by interface robot arms 104, and may beconfigured for transferring substrates through the interface 103. Forexample, chamber 105 may provide, for example, wet etching capabilitiesand may be accessed by interface robot arm 104 a through the side of thefactory interface 103. The wet station may be coupled with the interfacesection 103 at a third location of the interface section 103 between thefirst location and second location of the interface section. Indisclosed embodiments the third location may be adjacent to either ofthe first and second locations of the interface section 103.Additionally, chamber 107 may provide, for example, additional storageand may be accessed by interface robot arm 104 b through the oppositeside of the factory interface 103 from chamber 105. The storage chamber107 may be coupled with the interface 103 at a fourth location of theinterface section opposite the third location. The interface 103 mayinclude additional structures for allowing the transfer of substratesbetween the robot arms 104, including transfer section 112 positionedbetween the robot arms 104. Transfer section 112 may be configured tohold one or more substrates, and may be configured to hold 2, 5, 10, 15,20, 25, 50, 100 etc. or more substrates at any given time for deliveryfor processing.

Transfer section 112 may include additional capabilities includingcooling of the substrates below atmospheric conditions as well asatmospheric cleaning of the wafers, for example. In one example, asubstrate may be retrieved from loading chamber 106 a or side station105 by interface robot arm 104 a. If the substrate is to be loaded intochamber 107, for example, robot arm 104 a may be instructed to transportand deposit the substrate to transfer section 112. Robot arm 104 b maythen retrieve the substrate for delivery to chamber 107. Alternatively,a substrate retrieved either from FOUPs 102 or loading chambers 106 maybe placed or delivered to interface transfer section 112 for cooling,cleaning, etc. as may be performed at the interface transfer section112. The holding chambers or FOUPs 102 may include at least one inletport configured to receive a fluid through the inlet port. The FOUPs maybe further configured to direct the fluid through the holding chamberand into the interface section 103. The holding chambers 103 mayadditionally include at least one internal diffuser configured to directthe received fluid throughout the holding chamber. For example, anitrogen or other inert fluid may be flowed into the FOUPs through theinlet ports. As any individual FOUP may house 10, 25, 50, etc. or moresubstrates, internal diffusers may direct the nitrogen or other fluidthrough the FOUP to ensure that the entire internal environment of theFOUP is purged of air. The diffusers may direct or be configured todirect the fluid in between and around each and every substrate housedin the FOUP.

The system 100A may be adapted to transport substrates between andthrough atmospheric and vacuum environments. For example, interface 103may provide access from FOUPs 102 at atmospheric pressures and loadingchambers 106, which may be configured to be evacuated. Accordingly, allsystems including chambers 108 and transfer station 110 may beconfigured to operate at vacuum conditions, and loading chambers 106 mayprovide access between the atmospheric and vacuum environments. Loadingchambers 106 may include areas of transfer, such as slit valves on boththe interface 103 side as well as the transfer chamber 110 side. Bothvalves may be closed to maintain the alternate environments. The slitvalve on the interface 103 side may open to allow delivery of asubstrate by arms 104. The valve may then close and the loading chambermay be evacuated to the vacuum environment at which the other chambersmay be maintained. The slit valve on the transfer station side of theloading chamber 106 may then be opened to provide access to the vacuumenvironment. Alternatively, the process chambers 108 and transferchamber 110 may be maintained in an inert environment, such as withnitrogen purging, which may be continuously flowed through each of thechambers to maintain the inert atmosphere. The loading chamber 106 maysimilarly be configured to be purged with nitrogen after receiving asubstrate in order to provide the substrate to the process sections in asimilar environment. The system 100A may additionally include gasdelivery systems and system controllers (not shown) for providingprecursors and instructions for performing a variety of processingoperations.

FIG. 1B illustrates another exemplary processing system to which avariety of the chambers and features may be coupled in variousembodiments. The processing tool 100B depicted in FIG. 1B may contain aplurality of process chambers, 114A-D, a transfer chamber 110, servicechambers 116A-B, and a pair of load lock chambers 106A-B. The processchambers may include any of the chambers as described elsewhere in thisdisclosure including the chambers discussed in relation to system 100Aabove and the specific chambers below. Additionally, the system 100B mayinclude single chambers as opposed to tandem chambers, and any of thechambers disclosed elsewhere may be adapted as a single chamber ortandem chamber. To transport substrates among the chambers, the transferchamber 110 may contain a robotic transport mechanism 113. The transportmechanism 113 may have a pair of substrate transport blades 113Aattached to the distal ends of extendible arms 113B, respectively. Theblades 113A may be used for carrying individual substrates to and fromthe process chambers. In operation, one of the substrate transportblades such as blade 113A of the transport mechanism 113 may retrieve asubstrate W from one of the load lock chambers such as chambers 106A-Band carry substrate W to a first stage of processing, for example, anetching process as described below in chambers 114A-D. If the chamber isoccupied, the robot may wait until the processing is complete and thenremove the processed substrate from the chamber with one blade 113A andmay insert a new substrate with a second blade (not shown). Once thesubstrate is processed, it may then be moved to a second stage ofprocessing. For each move, the transport mechanism 113 generally mayhave one blade carrying a substrate and one blade empty to execute asubstrate exchange. The transport mechanism 113 may wait at each chamberuntil an exchange can be accomplished.

Once processing is complete within the process chambers, the transportmechanism 113 may move the substrate W from the last process chamber andtransport the substrate W to a cassette within the load lock chambers106A-B. From the load lock chambers 106A-B, the substrate may move intoa factory interface 104. The factory interface 104 generally may operateto transfer substrates between pod loaders 105A-D in an atmosphericpressure clean environment and the load lock chambers 106A-B. The cleanenvironment in factory interface 104 may be generally provided throughair filtration processes, such as HEPA filtration, for example. Factoryinterface 104 may also include a substrate orienter/aligner (not shown)that may be used to properly align the substrates prior to processing.At least one substrate robot, such as robots 108A-B, may be positionedin factory interface 104 to transport substrates between variouspositions/locations within factory interface 104 and to other locationin communication therewith. Robots 108A-B may be configured to travelalong a track system within enclosure 104 from a first end to a secondend of the factory interface 104.

Turning to FIG. 2 is shown a rear perspective view of an exemplaryprocessing system 200 according to the disclosed technology. System 200may include an alternate view of the system of FIG. 1A, from the cleanroom or vacuum side of the interface. As shown in the illustration,interface 203 may be accessed by loading chambers 206 that may beconfigured to provide access to an evacuated environment for processingthrough sealable openings 207, which may be slit valves. The loadingchambers 206 may include additional components configured to act uponthe substrates. The loading chambers 206 may include a heating deviceconfigured to heat the loading chamber or a substrate contained withinfrom temperatures below or about 0° C. up to temperatures above or about800° C. For example, the loading chamber heating device may beconfigured to heat the substrate up to or above 300° C. in disclosedembodiments. Additionally, a side chamber 205 may be located on the sideof interface 203. Although not shown, an additional side chamber may bepositioned on the side of the interface opposite chamber 205 asillustrated in FIG. 1A with chamber 107. Both side chambers may beaccessed through the factory interface 203 as previously described.System body 213 may define the positions at which the processingchambers 208, loading chambers 206, and transfer station 210 arelocated. A variety of processing chambers 208 may be incorporated intosystem 200, and may include a combination of the processing stations asillustrated in FIGS. 3-6 below. Although a single chamber is illustratedin each of the following figures, the figures may show one half of atandem processing chamber adapted to run two wafers at a time with asingle delivery system shared between the chambers. In disclosedembodiments the plurality of processing chambers are coupled as pairs oftandem processing chambers within the substrate processing system.

Turning to FIG. 3 is shown a cross-sectional schematic of an exemplaryprocessing chamber 300 according to the disclosed technology. Chamber300 may be used, for example, in one or more of the processing chambersections 208 of the system 200 previously discussed. A remote plasmasystem (“RPS”) 310 may process a gas which then travels through a gasinlet assembly 311. Two distinct gas supply channels may be presentwithin the gas inlet assembly 311. A first channel 312 may carry a gasthat passes through the RPS 310, while a second channel 313 may bypassthe RPS 310. The first channel 312 may be used for the process gas andthe second channel 313 may be used for a treatment gas in disclosedembodiments. The lid or conductive top portion 321 and a perforatedpartition, such as showerhead 353, are shown with an insulating ring 324disposed between, which may allow an AC potential to be applied to thelid 321 relative to showerhead 353. The process gas may travel throughfirst channel 312 into chamber plasma region 320 and may be excited by aplasma in chamber plasma region 320 alone or in combination with RPS310. The combination of chamber plasma region 320 and/or RPS 310 may bereferred to as a remote plasma system herein. The perforated partitionor showerhead 353 may separate chamber plasma region 320 from asubstrate processing region 370 beneath showerhead 353. Showerhead 353may allow a plasma present in chamber plasma region 320 to avoiddirectly exciting gases in substrate processing region 370, while stillallowing excited species to travel from chamber plasma region 320 intosubstrate processing region 370.

Showerhead 353 may be positioned between chamber plasma region 320 andsubstrate processing region 370 and allow plasma effluents or excitedderivatives of precursors or other gases created within chamber plasmaregion 320 to pass through a plurality of through-holes 356 thattraverse the thickness of the plate or plates included in theshowerhead. The precursors and/or plasma derivatives may combine inprocessing region 370 in order to produce films that may be deposited onsubstrate 380 positioned on a substrate support 375. The showerhead 353may also have one or more hollow volumes 351 that can be filled with aprecursor in the form of a vapor or gas, such as a silicon-containingprecursor, and pass through small holes 355 into substrate processingregion 370, but not directly into chamber plasma region 320. Showerhead353 may be thicker than the length of the smallest diameter 350 of thethrough-holes 356 in disclosed embodiments. In order to maintain asignificant concentration of excited species penetrating from chamberplasma region 320 to substrate processing region 370, the length 326 ofthe smallest diameter 350 of the through-holes may be restricted byforming larger diameter portions of through-holes 356 part way throughthe showerhead 353. The length of the smallest diameter 350 of thethrough-holes 356 may be the same order of magnitude as the smallestdiameter of the through-holes 356 or less in disclosed embodiments.

In the embodiment shown, showerhead 353 may distribute, viathrough-holes 356, process gases which contain a plasma vapor/gas suchas argon, for example. Additionally, the showerhead 353 may distribute,via smaller holes 355, a silicon-containing precursor that is maintainedseparately from the plasma region 320. The process gas or gases and thesilicon-containing precursor may be maintained fluidly separate via theshowerhead 353 until the precursors separately enter the processingregion 370. The precursors may contact one another once they enter theprocessing region and react to form a flowable dielectric material onsubstrate 380, for example.

Chamber 300 may be used to deposit an oxide layer on a silicon substrateor a silicon nitride layer, or on a previously patterned substrate thatmay include regions of silicon or nitride, for example. An additionalexample of a deposition chamber and process that may be used inconjunction with the disclosed technology is described in co-assignedapplication Ser. No. 13/153,016 titled “Oxide Rich Liner Layer forFlowable CVD Gapfill,” filed on Jun. 3, 2011, the entire contents ofwhich are hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes notinconsistent with the present disclosure.

FIG. 4A shows another cross-sectional schematic of an exemplaryprocessing chamber 400 with partitioned plasma generation regions withinthe processing chamber. Chamber 400 may be used, for example, in one ormore of the processing chamber sections 208 of the system 200 previouslydiscussed. During film etching, e.g., titanium nitride, tantalumnitride, tungsten, silicon, polysilicon, silicon oxide, silicon nitride,silicon oxynitride, silicon oxycarbide, etc., a process gas may beflowed from gas delivery system 410 into the first plasma region 415through a gas inlet assembly 405. The plasma region 415 within thechamber may be similar to the second remote plasma region discussedpreviously, and may be remote from processing region 433 as discussedbelow. A remote plasma system (“RPS”) 401 may be included in the system,and may process a first gas which then travels through gas inletassembly 405. RPS unit 401 may be similar to the first remote plasmaregion as previously discussed. The inlet assembly 405 may include twoor more distinct gas supply channels where the second channel may bypassthe RPS 401. Accordingly, in disclosed embodiments at least one of theprecursor gases may be delivered to the processing chamber in anunexcited state, such as a fluorine-containing precursor. In anotherexample, the first channel provided through the RPS may be used for anoxygen-containing precursor and the second channel bypassing the RPS maybe used for the fluorine-containing precursor in disclosed embodiments.The oxygen-containing precursor may be excited within the RPS 401 priorto entering the first plasma region 415. Accordingly, thefluorine-containing precursor and/or the oxygen-containing precursor asdiscussed above, for example, may pass through RPS 401 or bypass the RPSunit in disclosed embodiments. Various other examples encompassed bythis arrangement will be similarly understood.

A cooling plate 403, faceplate 417, ion suppressor 423, showerhead 425,and a substrate support 465, having a substrate 455 disposed thereon,are shown and may each be included according to disclosed embodiments.The pedestal 465 may have a heat exchange channel through which a heatexchange fluid flows to control the temperature of the substrate. Thisconfiguration may allow the substrate 455 temperature to be cooled orheated to maintain relatively low temperatures, such as between about−20° C. to about 200° C., or therebetween. The heat exchange fluid maycomprise ethylene glycol and/or water. The wafer support platter of thepedestal 465, which may comprise aluminum, ceramic, or a combinationthereof, may also be resistively heated in order to achieve relativelyhigh temperatures, such as from up to or about 100° C. to above or about1100° C., using an embedded resistive heater element. The heatingelement may be formed within the pedestal as one or more loops, and anouter portion of the heater element may run adjacent to a perimeter ofthe support platter, while an inner portion runs on the path of aconcentric circle having a smaller radius. The wiring to the heaterelement may pass through the stem of the pedestal 465, which may befurther configured to rotate.

The faceplate 417 may be pyramidal, conical, or of another similarstructure with a narrow top portion expanding to a wide bottom portion.The faceplate 417 may additionally be flat as shown and include aplurality of through-channels used to distribute process gases. Plasmagenerating gases and/or plasma excited species, depending on use of theRPS 401, may pass through a plurality of holes, shown in FIG. 4B, infaceplate 417 for a more uniform delivery into the first plasma region415.

Exemplary configurations may include having the gas inlet assembly 405open into a gas supply region 458 partitioned from the first plasmaregion 415 by faceplate 417 so that the gases/species flow through theholes in the faceplate 417 into the first plasma region 415. Thefaceplate 417, or a conductive top portion of the chamber, andshowerhead 425 are shown with an insulating ring 420 located between thefeatures, which allows an AC potential to be applied to the faceplate417 relative to showerhead 425 and/or ion suppressor 423, which may beelectrically coupled with the showerhead 425, or similarly insulated.The insulating ring 420 may be positioned between the faceplate 417 andthe showerhead 425 and/or ion suppressor 423 enabling acapacitively-coupled plasma (“CCP”) to be formed in the first plasmaregion. A baffle (not shown) may additionally be located in the firstplasma region 415, or otherwise coupled with gas inlet assembly 405, toaffect the flow of fluid into the region through gas inlet assembly 405.

The ion suppressor 423 may comprise a plate or other geometry thatdefines a plurality of apertures throughout the structure that areconfigured to suppress the migration of ionically-charged species out ofthe plasma excitation region 415 while allowing uncharged neutral orradical species to pass through the ion suppressor 423 into an activatedgas delivery region between the suppressor and the showerhead. Indisclosed embodiments, the ion suppressor 423 may comprise a perforatedplate with a variety of aperture configurations. Showerhead 425 incombination with ion suppressor 423 may allow a plasma present inchamber plasma region 415 to avoid directly exciting gases in substrateprocessing region 433, while still allowing excited species to travelfrom chamber plasma region 415 into substrate processing region 433. Inthis way, the chamber may be configured to prevent the plasma fromcontacting a substrate 455 being etched.

The processing system may further include a power supply 440electrically coupled with the processing chamber to provide electricpower to the faceplate 417, ion suppressor 423, showerhead 425, and/orpedestal 465 to generate a plasma in the first plasma region 415 orprocessing region 433. The power supply may be configured to deliver anadjustable amount of power to the chamber depending on the processperformed. Such a configuration may allow for a tunable plasma to beused in the processes being performed. Unlike a remote plasma unit,which is often presented with on or off functionality, a tunable plasmamay be configured to deliver a specific amount of power to the plasmaregion 415. This in turn may allow development of particular plasmacharacteristics such that precursors may be dissociated in specific waysto enhance the etching profiles produced by these precursors. Forexample, this may provide the partial dissociation of nitrogentrifluoride as explained previously.

A plasma may be ignited either in chamber plasma region 415 aboveshowerhead 425 or substrate processing region 433 below showerhead 425.A plasma may be present in chamber plasma region 415 to produce theradical-fluorine precursors from an inflow of the fluorine-containingprecursor. An AC voltage typically in the radio frequency (“RF”) rangemay be applied between the conductive top portion of the processingchamber, such as faceplate 417, and showerhead 425 and/or ion suppressor423 to ignite a plasma in chamber plasma region 415 during deposition.An RF power supply may generate a high RF frequency of 13.56 MHz but mayalso generate other frequencies alone or in combination with the 13.56MHz frequency.

Plasma power can be of a variety of frequencies or a combination ofmultiple frequencies either in an internal plasma region, or in an RPSunit. In the exemplary processing system the plasma may be provided byRF power delivered to faceplate 417 relative to ion suppressor 423and/or showerhead 425. The RF power may be between about 10 Watts andabout 2000 Watts, between about 100 Watts and about 2000 Watts, betweenabout 200 Watts and about 1500 Watts, between about 0 and about 500Watts, or between about 200 Watts and about 1000 Watts in differentembodiments. The RF frequency applied in the exemplary processing systemmay be low RF frequencies less than about 200 kHz, high RF frequenciesbetween about 10 MHz and about 15 MHz, or microwave frequencies greaterthan or about 1 GHz in different embodiments. The plasma power may becapacitively-coupled or inductively-coupled into the remote plasmaregion. In alternative configurations, the chamber may be configured toutilize UV or e-beam sources to excite or activate the reactive species.These capabilities may be utilized in conjunction with or in lieu of theplasma.

The showerhead 425 may comprise an upper plate 414 and a lower plate416. The plates may be coupled with one another to define a volume 418between the plates. The coupling of the plates may be so as to providefirst fluid channels 419 through the upper and lower plates, and secondfluid channels 421 through the lower plate 416. The formed channels maybe configured to provide fluid access from the volume 418 through thelower plate 416 via second fluid channels 421 alone, and the first fluidchannels 419 may be fluidly isolated from the volume 418 between theplates and the second fluid channels 421. The volume 418 may be fluidlyaccessible through a side of the gas distribution assembly 425. Forexample, an additional precursor that may not interact with theactivated precursors previously described may be delivered to theprocessing region via second fluid channels 421 so that the activatedprecursors and the additional precursors interact only when theyseparately enter the processing region 433. Although the exemplarysystem of FIG. 4A includes a dual-channel showerhead, it is understoodthat alternative distribution assemblies may be utilized that maintainfirst and second precursors fluidly isolated prior to the processingregion 433. For example, a perforated plate and tubes underneath theplate may be utilized, although other configurations may operate withreduced efficiency or not provide as uniform processing as thedual-channel showerhead as described. Alternatively, when the onlyprecursors utilized will be delivered via inlet assembly 405, and allprecursors will flow from plasma region 415, a dual-channel may not benecessary, and a single plate manifold or perforated plate may beutilized that further mixes the precursors while delivering themdirectly to the processing region 433.

FIG. 4B shows a detailed partial view of components of the processingchamber shown in FIG. 4A. As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, faceplate 417,cooling plate 403, and gas inlet assembly 405 intersect to define a gassupply region 458 into which process gases may be delivered from gasinlet 405. The gases may fill the gas supply region 458 and flow tofirst plasma region 415 through apertures 459 in faceplate 417. Theapertures 459 may be configured to direct flow in a substantiallyunidirectional manner such that process gases may flow into processingregion 433, but may be partially or fully prevented from backflow intothe gas supply region 458 after traversing the faceplate 417.

Chamber 400 may be used for etching a silicon or silicon nitride filmwhile not etching, or minimally etching an exposed silicon oxide film,for example. Additional examples of etching processes and chambers thatmay be used in conjunction with the disclosed technology and chamber 400are described in co-assigned application No. 61/771,264 titled “EnhancedEtching Processes Using Remote Plasma Sources,” and filed Mar. 1, 2013,the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference forall purposes not inconsistent with the present disclosure. Additionalexamples of processes and chambers including multiple RPS units that maybe used in conjunction with the disclosed technology and chamber 400 aredescribed in co-assigned application Ser. No. 13/791,074 titled“Semiconductor Processing Systems Having Multiple PlasmaConfigurations,” and filed Mar. 8, 2013, the entire contents of whichare hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes not inconsistentwith the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 shows another cross-sectional schematic of an exemplaryprocessing chamber 500 according to the disclosed technology. Chamber500 may be used, for example, in one or more of the processing chambersections 208 of the system 200 previously discussed. Processing chamber500 may include a chamber body 512, a lid assembly 502, and a supportassembly 510. The lid assembly 502 is disposed at an upper end of thechamber body 512, and the support assembly 510 is at least partiallydisposed within the chamber body 512. The processing chamber 500 and theassociated hardware are preferably formed from one or moreprocess-compatible materials, e.g., aluminum, stainless steel, etc.

The chamber body 512 includes a slit valve opening 560 formed in asidewall thereof to provide access to the interior of the processingchamber 500. The slit valve opening 560 is selectively opened and closedto allow access to the interior of the chamber body 512 by a waferhandling robot (not shown). In one embodiment, a wafer can betransported in and out of the processing chamber 500 through the slitvalve opening 560 to an adjacent transfer chamber and/or load-lockchamber, or another chamber within a system such as system 100A or 100Bpreviously described.

In one or more embodiments, chamber body 512 includes a chamber bodychannel 513 for flowing a heat transfer fluid through chamber body 512.The heat transfer fluid can be a heating fluid or a coolant and is usedto control the temperature of chamber body 512 during processing andsubstrate transfer. Heating the chamber body 512 may help to preventunwanted condensation of the gas or byproducts on the chamber walls.Exemplary heat transfer fluids include water, ethylene glycol, or amixture thereof. An exemplary heat transfer fluid may also includenitrogen gas. Support assembly 510 may have a support assembly channel504 for flowing a heat transfer fluid through support assembly 510thereby affecting the substrate temperature.

The chamber body 512 can further include a liner 533 that surrounds thesupport assembly 510. The liner 533 is preferably removable forservicing and cleaning. The liner 533 can be made of a metal such asaluminum, or a ceramic material. However, the liner 533 can be anyprocess compatible material. The liner 533 can be bead blasted toincrease the adhesion of any material deposited thereon, therebypreventing flaking of material which results in contamination of theprocessing chamber 500. In one or more embodiments, the liner 533includes one or more apertures 535 and a pumping channel 529 formedtherein that is in fluid communication with a vacuum system. Theapertures 535 provide a flow path for gases into the pumping channel529, which provides an egress for the gases within the processingchamber 500.

The vacuum system can include a vacuum pump 525 and a throttle valve 527to regulate flow of gases through the processing chamber 500. The vacuumpump 525 is coupled to a vacuum port 531 disposed on the chamber body512 and therefore, in fluid communication with the pumping channel 529formed within the liner 533.

Apertures 535 allow the pumping channel 529 to be in fluid communicationwith a substrate processing region 540 within the chamber body 512. Thesubstrate processing region 540 is defined by a lower surface of the lidassembly 502 and an upper surface of the support assembly 510, and issurrounded by the liner 533. The apertures 535 may be uniformly sizedand evenly spaced about the liner 533. However, any number, position,size or shape of apertures may be used, and each of those designparameters can vary depending on the desired flow pattern of gas acrossthe substrate receiving surface as is discussed in more detail below. Inaddition, the size, number and position of the apertures 535 areconfigured to achieve uniform flow of gases exiting the processingchamber 500. Further, the aperture size and location may be configuredto provide rapid or high capacity pumping to facilitate a rapid exhaustof gas from the chamber 500. For example, the number and size ofapertures 535 in close proximity to the vacuum port 531 may be smallerthan the size of apertures 535 positioned farther away from the vacuumport 531.

A gas supply panel (not shown) is typically used to provide processgas(es) to the processing chamber 500 through one or more apertures 551.The particular gas or gases that are used depend upon the process orprocesses to be performed within the chamber 500. Illustrative gases caninclude, but are not limited to one or more precursors, reductants,catalysts, carriers, purge, cleaning, or any mixture or combinationthereof. Typically, the one or more gases introduced to the processingchamber 500 flow into plasma volume 561 through aperture(s) 551 in topplate 550. Alternatively or in combination, processing gases may beintroduced more directly through aperture(s) 552 into substrateprocessing region 540. Aperture(s) 552 bypass the remote plasmaexcitation and are useful for processes involving gases that do notrequire plasma excitation or processes which do not benefit fromadditional excitation of the gases. Electronically operated valvesand/or flow control mechanisms (not shown) may be used to control theflow of gas from the gas supply into the processing chamber 500.Depending on the process, any number of gases can be delivered to theprocessing chamber 500, and can be mixed either in the processingchamber 500 or before the gases are delivered to the processing chamber500.

The lid assembly 502 can further include an electrode 545 to generate aplasma of reactive species within the lid assembly 502. In oneembodiment, the electrode 545 is supported by top plate 550 and iselectrically isolated therefrom by inserting electrically isolatingring(s) 547 made from aluminum oxide or any other insulating and processcompatible material. In one or more embodiments, the electrode 545 iscoupled to a power source 546 while the rest of lid assembly 502 isconnected to ground. Accordingly, a plasma of one or more process gasescan be generated in remote plasma region composed of volumes 561, 562and/or 563 between electrode 545 and annular mounting flange 522. Inembodiments, annular mounting flange 522 comprises or supports gasdelivery plate 520. For example, the plasma may be initiated andmaintained between electrode 545 and one or both blocker plates ofblocker assembly 530. Alternatively, the plasma can be struck andcontained between the electrode 545 and gas delivery plate 520, in theabsence of blocker assembly 530. In either scenario, the plasma is wellconfined or contained within the lid assembly 502. An RPS unit such asthat previously described may also be utilized to generate a plasma ofreactive species which are then delivered into the chamber 500.

The temperatures of the process chamber body 512 and the substrate mayeach be controlled by flowing a heat transfer medium through chamberbody channel 513 and support assembly channel 504, respectively. Supportassembly channel 504 may be formed within support assembly 510 tofacilitate the transfer of thermal energy. Chamber body 512 and supportassembly 510 may be cooled or heated independently. For example, aheating fluid may be flown through one while a cooling fluid is flownthrough the other.

Other methods may be used to control the substrate temperature. Thesubstrate may be heated by heating the support assembly 510 or a portionthereof, such as a pedestal, with a resistive heater or by some othermeans. In another configuration, gas delivery plate 520 may bemaintained at a temperature higher than the substrate and the substratecan be elevated in order to raise the substrate temperature. In thiscase the substrate is heated radiatively or by using a gas to conductheat from gas delivery plate 520 to the substrate. The substrate may beelevated by raising support assembly 510 or by employing lift pins.

Chamber 500 may be used for etching a silicon oxide film while notetching, or minimally etching an exposed silicon surface or siliconnitride surface, for example. Additional examples of etching processesand chambers that may be used in conjunction with the disclosedtechnology and chamber 500 are described in co-assigned application No.61/702,493 titled “Radical-Component Oxide Etch,” and filed Sep. 18,2012, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by referencefor all purposes not inconsistent with the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 shows another cross-sectional schematic of an exemplaryprocessing chamber 600 according to the disclosed technology. Chamber600 may be used, for example, in one or more of the processing chambersections 208 of the system 200 previously discussed Generally, the etchchamber 600 may include a first capacitively-coupled plasma source toimplement an ion milling operation and a second capacitively-coupledplasma source to implement an etching operation and to implement anoptional deposition operation. The chamber 600 may include groundedchamber walls 640 surrounding a chuck 650. In embodiments, the chuck 650may be an electrostatic chuck which clamps the substrate 602 to a topsurface of the chuck 650 during processing, though other clampingmechanisms as would be known may also be utilized. The chuck 650 mayinclude an embedded heat exchanger coil 617. In the exemplaryembodiment, the heat exchanger coil 617 includes one or more heattransfer fluid channels through which heat transfer fluid, such as anethylene glycol/water mix, may be passed to control the temperature ofthe chuck 650 and ultimately the temperature of the substrate 602.

The chuck 650 may include a mesh 649 coupled to a high voltage DC supply648 so that the mesh 649 may carry a DC bias potential to implement theelectrostatic clamping of the substrate 602. The chuck 650 may becoupled to a first RF power source and in one such embodiment, the mesh649 is coupled to the first RF power source so that both the DC voltageoffset and the RF voltage potentials are coupled across a thindielectric layer on the top surface of the chuck 650. In theillustrative embodiment, the first RF power source may include a firstand second RF generator 652, 653. The RF generators 652, 653 may operateat any industrial frequency known in the art, however in the exemplaryembodiment the RF generator 652 may operate at 60 MHz to provideadvantageous directionality. Where a second RF generator 653 is alsoprovided, the exemplary frequency may be 2 MHz.

With the chuck 650 to be RF powered, an RF return path may provided by afirst showerhead 625. The first showerhead 625 may be disposed above thechuck to distribute a first feed gas into a first chamber region 684defined by the first showerhead 625 and the chamber wall 640. As such,the chuck 650 and the first showerhead 625 form a first RF coupledelectrode pair to capacitively energize a first plasma 670 of a firstfeed gas within a first chamber region 684. A DC plasma bias, or RFbias, resulting from capacitive coupling of the RF powered chuck maygenerate an ion flux from the first plasma 670 to the substrate 602,e.g., Ar ions where the first feed gas is Ar, to provide an ion millingplasma. The first showerhead 625 may be grounded or alternately coupledto an RF source 628 having one or more generators operable at afrequency other than that of the chuck 650, e.g., 13.56 MHz or 60 MH. Inthe illustrated embodiment the first showerhead 625 may be selectablycoupled to ground or the RF source 628 through the relay 627 which maybe automatically controlled during the etch process, for example by acontroller (not shown).

As further illustrated in the figure, the etch chamber 600 may include apump stack capable of high throughput at low process pressures. Inembodiments, at least one turbo molecular pump 665, 666 may be coupledwith the first chamber region 684 through a gate valve 660 and disposedbelow the chuck 650, opposite the first showerhead 625. The turbomolecular pumps 665, 666 may be any commercially available pumps havingsuitable throughput and more particularly may be sized appropriately tomaintain process pressures below or about 10 mTorr or below or about 5mTorr at the desired flow rate of the first feed gas, e.g., 50 to 500sccm of Ar where argon is the first feedgas. In the embodimentillustrated, the chuck 650 may form part of a pedestal which is centeredbetween the two turbo pumps 665 and 666, however in alternateconfigurations chuck 650 may be on a pedestal cantilevered from thechamber wall 640 with a single turbo molecular pump having a centeraligned with a center of the chuck 650.

Disposed above the first showerhead 625 may be a second showerhead 610.In one embodiment, during processing, the first feed gas source, forexample, Argon delivered from gas distribution system 690 may coupled toa gas inlet 676, and the first feed gas flowed through a plurality ofapertures 680 extending through second showerhead 610, into the secondchamber region 681, and through a plurality of apertures 682 extendingthrough the first showerhead 625 into the first chamber region 684. Anadditional flow distributor 615 having apertures 678 may furtherdistribute a first feed gas flow 616 across the diameter of the etchchamber 600 through a distribution region 618. In an alternateembodiment, the first feed gas may be flowed directly into the firstchamber region 684 via apertures 683 which are isolated from the secondchamber region 681 as denoted by dashed line 623. For example, where thefirst showerhead is a dual-channel showerhead as previously described,the apertures 683 correspond to apertures 775 in FIG. 7.

Chamber 600 may additionally be reconfigured from the state illustratedto perform an etching operation. A secondary electrode 605 may bedisposed above the first showerhead 625 with a second chamber region 681there between. The secondary electrode 605 may further form a lid of theetch chamber 600. The secondary electrode 605 and the first showerhead625 may be electrically isolated by a dielectric ring 620 and form asecond RF coupled electrode pair to capacitively discharge a secondplasma 692 of a second feed gas within the second chamber region 681.Advantageously, the second plasma 692 may not provide a significant RFbias potential on the chuck 650. At least one electrode of the second RFcoupled electrode pair is coupled to an RF source for energizing anetching plasma. The secondary electrode 605 may be electrically coupledwith the second showerhead 610. In an exemplary embodiment, the firstshowerhead 625 may be coupled with a ground plane or floating and may becoupled to ground through a relay 627 allowing the first showerhead 625to also be powered by the RF power source 628 during the ion millingmode of operation. Where the first showerhead 625 is grounded, an RFpower source 608, having one or more RF generators operating at 13.56MHz or 60 MHz for example may be coupled with the secondary electrode605 through a relay 607 which will allow the secondary electrode 605 toalso be grounded during other operational modes, such as during an ionmilling operation, although the secondary electrode 605 may also be leftfloating if the first showerhead 625 is powered.

A second feed gas source, such as nitrogen trifluoride, and a hydrogensource, such as ammonia, may be delivered from gas distribution system690, and coupled to the gas inlet 676 such as via dashed line 624. Inthis mode, the second feed gas may flow through the second showerhead610 and may be energized in the second chamber region 681. Reactivespecies may then pass into the first chamber region 684 to react withthe substrate 602. As further illustrated, for embodiments where thefirst showerhead 625 is a dual-channel showerhead, one or more feedgases may be provided to react with the reactive species generated bythe second plasma 692. In one such embodiment, a water source may becoupled to the plurality of apertures 683.

In an embodiment, the chuck 650 may be movable along the distance H2 ina direction normal to the first showerhead 625. The chuck 650 may be onan actuated mechanism surrounded by a bellows 655, or the like, to allowthe chuck 650 to move closer to or farther away from the firstshowerhead 625 as a means of controlling heat transfer between the chuck650 and the first showerhead 625, which may be at an elevatedtemperature of 80° C.-150° C., or more. As such, an etch process may beimplemented by moving the chuck 650 between first and secondpredetermined positions relative to the first showerhead 625.Alternatively, the chuck 650 may include a lifter 651 to elevate thesubstrate 602 off a top surface of the chuck 650 by distance H1 tocontrol heating by the first showerhead 625 during the etch process. Inother embodiments, where the etch process is performed at a fixedtemperature such as about 90-110° C. for example, chuck displacementmechanisms may be avoided. A system controller, such as discussed belowwith respect to FIG. 21, may alternately energize the first and secondplasmas 670 and 692 during the etching process by alternately poweringthe first and second RF coupled electrode pairs automatically.

The chamber 600 may also be reconfigured to perform a depositionoperation. A plasma 692 may be generated in the second chamber region681 by an RF discharge which may be implemented in any of the mannersdescribed for the second plasma 692. Where the first showerhead 625 ispowered to generate the plasma 692 during a deposition, the firstshowerhead 625 may be isolated from a grounded chamber wall 640 by adielectric spacer 630 so as to be electrically floating relative to thechamber wall. In the exemplary embodiment, an oxidizer feed gas source,such as molecular oxygen, may be delivered from gas distribution system690, and coupled to the gas inlet 676. In embodiments where the firstshowerhead 625 is a dual-channel showerhead, any silicon-containingprecursor, such as OMCTS may be delivered from gas distribution system690, and coupled into the first chamber region 684 to react withreactive species passing through the first showerhead 625 from theplasma 692. Alternatively the silicon-containing precursor may also beflowed through the gas inlet 676 along with the oxidizer.

Chamber 600 may be used for a number of etching and depositionprocesses, for example. Additional examples of etching and depositionprocesses and chambers that may be used in conjunction with thedisclosed technology and chamber 600 are described in co-assignedapplication Ser. No. 13/651,074 titled “Process chamber for Etching LowK and Other Dielectric Films,” and filed Oct. 12, 2012, the entirecontents of which are hereby incorporated by reference for all purposesnot inconsistent with the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 shows a bottom plan view of a showerhead according to thedisclosed technology. Showerhead 725 may correspond with the showerhead353 shown in FIG. 3, showerhead 425 shown in FIG. 4A, or showerhead 625shown in FIG. 6. Through-holes 765, which show a view of first fluidchannels 419 for example, may have a plurality of shapes andconfigurations in order to control and affect the flow of precursorsthrough the showerhead 725. For example, the apertures may make anygeometrical pattern in their arrangement as may affect fluiddistribution, and may be distributed as rings of apertures locatedconcentrically outward from each other and based on a centrally locatedposition on the plate. As one example, and without limiting the scope ofthe technology, FIG. 7 shows a pattern formed by the apertures thatincludes concentric hexagonal rings extending outwardly from the center.Each outwardly located ring may have the same number, more, or lessapertures than the preceding ring located inwardly. In one example, eachconcentric ring may have an additional number of apertures based on thegeometric shape of each ring. In the example of a six-sided polygon,each ring moving outwardly may have six apertures more than the ringlocated directly inward, with the first internal ring having sixapertures. With a first ring of apertures located nearest to the centerof the upper and bottom plates, the upper and bottom plates may havemore than two rings, and depending on the geometric pattern of aperturesused, may have between about one and about fifty rings of apertures. Inone example, as shown, there may be nine hexagonal rings on theexemplary upper plate.

The concentric rings of apertures may also not have one of theconcentric rings of apertures, or may have one of the rings of aperturesextending outward removed from between other rings. For example withreference to FIG. 7, where an exemplary nine hexagonal rings are on theplate, the plate may instead have eight rings, but it may be ring fourthat is removed. In such an example, channels may not be formed wherethe fourth ring would otherwise be located which may redistribute thegas flow of a fluid being passed through the apertures. The rings maystill also have certain apertures removed from the geometric pattern.For example again with reference to FIG. 7, a tenth hexagonal ring ofapertures may be formed on the plate shown as the outermost ring.However, the ring may not include apertures that would form the verticesof the hexagonal pattern, or other apertures within the ring. Smallholes 775, which show a view of second fluid channels 421 for example,may be distributed substantially evenly over the surface of theshowerhead, even amongst the through-holes 765, which may help toprovide more even mixing of the precursors as they exit the showerheadthan other configurations.

An alternative arrangement for a showerhead or faceplate according todisclosed embodiments is illustrated in FIG. 8, which shows a bottomplan view of another showerhead according to the disclosed technology.As shown, the showerhead 800 may comprise a perforated plate ormanifold. The assembly of the showerhead may be similar to theshowerhead as shown in FIG. 7, or may include a design configuredspecifically for distribution patterns of precursor gases. Showerhead800 may include an annular frame 810 positioned in various arrangementswithin an exemplary processing chamber, such as one or more arrangementsas shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12, and/or 13. On or within the framemay be coupled a plate 820, which may be similar in disclosedembodiments to plate 720 as previously described. The plate may have adisc shape and be seated on or within the frame 810. The plate may be ofa variety of thicknesses, and may include a plurality of apertures 865defined within the plate. An exemplary arrangement as shown in FIG. 8may include a pattern as previously described with reference to thearrangement in FIG. 7, and may include a series of rings of apertures ina geometric pattern, such as a hexagon as shown. As would be understood,the pattern illustrated is exemplary and it is to be understood that avariety of patterns, hole arrangements, and hole spacing are encompassedin the design. Alternatively, showerhead 800 may be a single platedesign and compose a single-piece construction.

FIG. 9 shows a rear perspective view of an exemplary processing system900 according to the disclosed technology. System 900 may include analternate view of the system 100A of FIG. 1A, from the clean room orvacuum side of the interface. As shown in the illustration, interface903 may be accessed by loading chambers 906 that may be configured toprovide access to an evacuated environment for processing throughsealable opening 907, which may be a slit valve. Additionally, a sidechamber 905 may be located on the side of interface 903. Although notshown, an additional side chamber may be positioned on the side of theinterface opposite chamber 905. Both side chambers may be accessedthrough the factory interface 903 as previously described. System body913 may define the positions at which the processing chambers 908,loading chambers 906, and transfer station 910 are located. A variety ofprocessing chambers 908 may be incorporated into system 900, and mayinclude a combination of the processing stations as previously describedwith respect to FIGS. 3-6. In disclosed embodiments, the system mayinclude a plurality of processing chambers.

FIG. 9 additionally shows treatment processing stations 917 coupled withand disposed vertically with respect to loading chamber 906. As will bedescribed in more detail below with respect to FIG. 13, the system 900may include a plurality of treatment processing stations 917 that may becoupled with and positioned in vertical alignment to respective loadingstations 906 via system body 913 and be in vertical alignment with theloading chambers 906. As illustrated, the system may include two loadingchambers disposed horizontally from one another and two treatmentchambers coupled with and above each respective loading chamber 906. Thesystem body 913 may provide the structural support for chambers 908 andmaintain them under stable conditions to be utilized in the vacuum orclean environment. Accordingly, treatment processing stations 917 mayoccupy a different surface plane from the processing chamber 908.Processing chambers 917 may include sealable openings that may beaccessible from the transfer station 910. The openings may be sealed byslit valves 918 or other covering mechanisms, for example, that whenopened as shown by cover 918 b provide access to a treatment volume 920of the chamber and a pedestal 922 or platform on which a wafer may bedisposed. In order to maintain a substrate in a clean or vacuumenvironment, the transfer station may be configured to provide access tothe treatment processing stations 917 without breaking vacuumenvironment.

For example, a robot arm (not shown) such as arm 111 as shown in FIG. 1Amay be operable to move vertically with respect to the transfer stationbody so as to allow wafer transfer between or among both lower loadingstations 906 and upper treatment processing chambers 917. The robot armor process transfer device may be configured to deliver a substratebetween any of the plurality of loading chambers 906 and any of theplurality of processing chambers 908 while maintaining the substrateunder vacuum conditions. The process transfer device may further beconfigured to deliver substrates vertically to the treatment chambers917. In one configuration, for example, a hood or covering 925 maymaintain the transfer station under vacuum conditions while providingaccess to the upper chamber s 917. As illustrated, the loading chambers906 and process chambers 908 may all be on a first elevational plane ofthe processing system 900, and the treatment chambers 917 may be on asecond elevational plane of the substrate processing system that isabove the first elevational plane of the substrate processing system. Inthis way, a wafer or substrate may be transported between the loadingstations 906, processing stations 908, and vertically to the treatmentstations 917, while being maintained under vacuum or purge conditions atall times according to disclosed embodiments.

Processing chambers 917 may include features useful to performingenergy-based or other treatment operations on substrates such as thoseprocessed as previously described. The chamber may be configured toperform plasma treatments, such as from a remote plasma source, or mayhave internal or direct plasma capabilities such as fromcapacitively-coupled plasma, inductively-coupled plasma, microwaveplasma, toroidal plasma, etc., and in such case the treatment chambermay include components configured to generate a direct plasma within thetreatment chamber 917. The chamber 917 may also be configured to performand include components configured to generate an ultraviolet lighttreatment with lights and or window configurations, as well ascomponents configured for performing electron beam operations. Forexample, ultraviolet radiation or light at wavelengths between about 120and about 430 nm at a power density between about 5 and about 25mWatts/cm² may be delivered to a surface of the substrate from aradiation source contained within the processing chamber 917. Theradiation from the radiation source may be supplied by a lamp containingelements such as xenon, argon, krypton, nitrogen and derivativesthereof, such as xenon chloride or argon fluoride, for example. Thechambers may similarly be configured to perform ozone or other curingoperations and may be configured to provide a plurality of precursorsand operate at a series of conditions as described below.

FIG. 10 shows a rear perspective view of another exemplary processingsystem 1000 according to the disclosed technology. System 1000 mayinclude aspects of the system 900 of FIG. 9, in disclosed embodiments.As shown in the illustration, interface 1003 may be accessed by loadingchambers 1006 that may be configured to provide access to an evacuatedenvironment for processing through sealable opening 1007, which may be aslit valve. Additionally, a side chamber 1005 may be located on the sideof interface 1003, and although not shown, an additional side chambermay be positioned on the side of the interface opposite chamber 1005.System body 1013 may define the positions at which the processingchambers 1008, loading chambers 1006, and transfer station 1010 arelocated. A variety of processing chambers 1008 may be incorporated intosystem 1000, and may include a combination of the processing stations aspreviously described with respect to FIGS. 3-6. FIG. 10 additionallyshows treatment processing stations 1017 coupled with and disposedvertically in respect to loading chambers 1006. Processing chambers 1017may include sealable openings that may be accessible from the transferstation 1010. The openings may be sealed by slit valves 1018 or othercovering mechanisms, for example, that when opened as shown by cover1018 b provide access to a treatment volume 1020 of the chamber and apedestal 1022 or platform on which a wafer may be disposed.

As illustrated in FIG. 10, a distribution unit 1030, such as a treatmentplasma generating device, may be disposed above and coupled with bothtreatment processing chambers 1017. In disclosed embodiments, the plasmadevice may be separate from and coupled with both of the treatmentchambers as shown. In one embodiment, the distribution unit 1030comprises a remote plasma unit (“RPS”) that is coupled from side outletsto both treatment processing chambers 1017. Accordingly, plasmagenerated effluents may be dispersed to both treatment processingchambers 1017 simultaneously. The distribution unit may be configured toinclude internal diffusers to ensure symmetrical distribution ofprecursors or plasma species is being delivered to each treatmentprocessing chamber 1017, in order to maintain uniform processing betweenthe chambers.

FIG. 11 shows a rear perspective view of another exemplary processingsystem 1100 according to the disclosed technology. System 1100 mayinclude aspects of the system 900 of FIG. 9, in disclosed embodiments.As shown in the illustration, interface 1103 may be accessed by loadingchambers 1106 that may be configured to provide access to an evacuatedenvironment for processing through sealable opening 1107, which may be aslit valve. Additionally, a side chamber 1105 may be located on the sideof interface 1103, and although not shown, an additional side chambermay be positioned on the side of the interface opposite chamber 1105.System body 1113 may define the positions at which the processingchambers 1108, loading chambers 1106, and transfer station 1110 arelocated. A variety of processing chambers 1108 may be incorporated intosystem 1100, and may include a combination of the processing stations aspreviously described with respect to FIGS. 3-6. FIG. 11 additionallyshows treatment processing stations 1117 coupled with and disposedvertically in respect to loading chambers 1106. Processing chambers 1117may include sealable openings that may be accessible from the transferstation 1110. The openings may be sealed by slit valves 1118 or othercovering mechanisms, for example, that when opened as shown by cover1118 b provide access to a treatment volume 1120 of the chamber and apedestal 1122 or platform on which a wafer may be disposed.

As illustrated in FIG. 11, processing units 1135, 1140 may be coupledindividually with each treatment processing chamber 1117 a, 1117 brespectively. Processing units 1135, 1140 may be configured to initiateor provide material for multiple operations to be performed in thetreatment processing chambers 1117, and may be similar to distributionunit 1030 as described with respect to FIG. 10. For example, processingunits 1135, 1140 may both be treatment plasma generating devices, whereone of the processing units may be coupled with one of the treatmentchambers, and a second of the processing units may be coupled with asecond of the treatment chambers. The processing units may includeremote plasma capabilities, and as such may be configured to performseparate plasma-based operations in each of the respective treatmentprocessing chambers 1117. Alternatively, the processing units 1135, 1140may be operated in a similar fashion.

FIG. 12A shows an exemplary processing or treatment chamber 1200coupleable with a loading chamber according to the disclosed technology.The chamber 1200 may be coupled in any of the previously shownembodiments with a loading chamber. The chamber 1200 may be configuredto perform a treatment, scavenging, or etching operation as described indetail below, and may be configured to provide energized species tointeract with a processed wafer, that may be contaminated with residualhalides, for example. A top cover 1203 may be coupled with additionalmaterials or directly to the system frame 1213, which may be similar topreviously described system bodies such as system body 913, for example.Additional support members 1207 may be utilized to stabilize or shareload from the chamber 1200. The top cover 1203 may additionally hold aninlet fluid assembly 1205 configured to deliver precursors, plasmaeffluents, energy treatments, etc. from energy production unit ordistribution unit 1230. The distribution unit 1230 may be coupled withthe inlet gas assembly, which may further include bypass access foradditional fluids to be delivered into a distribution region 1258 of thetreatment chamber 1200. The distribution unit 1230 may provide a radicalspecies in disclosed embodiments, and may be configured as an RPS unitsuch as previously described to provide plasma effluents or radicalspecies into the treatment chamber 1200.

The inlet assembly 1205 may include a direct coupling 1215 between thedistribution unit 1230 and the treatment chamber 1200. For example, thedirect coupling 1215 may be configured to provide initial flow of anyprovided precursors such that the precursors may distribute moreuniformly through the chamber 1200. For example, the direct coupling1215 may include an upper portion and a lower portion of the coupling,and the lower coupling may have a diameter greater than the diameter ofthe upper portion of the coupling 1215. As illustrated, a relativelyshort transition may be provided between the upper portion and the lowerportion, or alternatively a continuous transition may be utilizedproducing a conical shape for the coupling 1215. The direct coupling1215 may include characteristics configured to provide turbulence forprovided fluids, and the characteristics may include fluting such asspiral fluting defined along the length of the coupling 1215.Alternatively, rifling or other curvature may be applied along thelength of the coupling 1215 in disclosed embodiments. The coupling 1215or aspects of inlet fluid assembly 1205 may be lined, treated, or formedof materials designed to prevent corrosion or interaction with speciesdelivered through the inlet assembly. For example, the direct coupling1215 may be made of or be lined with quartz, for example.

The gas inlet assembly 1205, with or without direct coupling 1215, maydirect a precursor into distribution region 1258 for distribution intotreatment region or processing region 1220. The distribution region 1258may be at least partially defined from above by one or more of directcoupling 1215, fluid inlet assembly 1205, and top cover 1203. Thedistribution region may be at least partially defined from below byshowerhead 1225, which may be configured to distribute a precursor intoprocessing region 1220. The showerhead 1225 may have severalconfigurations such as exemplary showerhead configurations illustratedin FIGS. 7-8, and may additionally have configurations such as those aswill be described below with FIGS. 12B-12C. Showerhead 1225 may be madeof a variety of materials including quartz, ceramic, or other dielectricmaterials. The showerhead may be configured to uniformly distribute aprecursor, such as a radical precursor to processing region 1220 whereit may interact with a substrate 1255 disposed therein. The substrate1255 may be supported, held, or suspended as illustrated in processingregion 1220. For example, support member 1222 or a support device may beconfigured to support substrate 1255 along an edge region and suspendthe substrate within the processing region 1220. Support member 1222 mayinclude a plurality of ledges disposed along a portion of the supportmember 1207 or top cover 1203, and may include 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, etc. ormore ledges disposed around the chamber 1200. The support members maynot be disposed fully throughout the chamber 1200, as the wafer may bedelivered to the chamber through a slit valve as previously described ona transfer device such as a robot arm. The transfer device may positiona substrate on the support member or members 1222 to be suspended duringprocessing. Processing region 1220 may be at least partially definedfrom below by a lower portion of the chamber housing 1265, which may becoupled with a loading chamber or system frame in disclosed embodiments.The lower portion 1265 of the chamber housing may include a temperaturecontrol device 1270 such as a heating plate disposed within theprocessing region 1220 to regulate the processing region temperature.

FIG. 12B illustrates a top plan view of a portion of chamber 1200 alongline A-A as illustrated in FIG. 12A. As shown, the showerhead 1225 b maybe a perforated plate or manifold. The assembly of the showerhead may besimilar to the showerhead as shown in FIG. 8, or may include a designconfigured specifically for distribution patterns within a confinedprocessing space. For example, treatment chambers such as illustrated inFIGS. 12A and 13 may have vertical dimensions less than other processingchambers as previously described because of the positioning above theloading chambers. As such, particular distribution patterns may be usedto enhance distribution such that uniform processing operations may beperformed. Showerhead 1225 b may include an annular frame 1210positioned in various arrangements in chamber 1200. On or within theframe 1210 may be coupled plate 1212, which may have a disc shape and beseated on or within the frame 1210. In disclosed embodiments theshowerhead 1225 b may be a single-piece design, and may be made of adielectric material such as quartz, for example. The plate may be of avariety of thicknesses, and may have an exterior portion 1210 thickerthan an interior portion 1212, or vice versa.

The plate may include a plurality of apertures 1214 defined through theplate 1212 that may be configured to distribute a precursor, such as aradical species through the showerhead 1225 b. An exemplary arrangementas shown in FIG. 12B may include a series of rings of apertures 1214 asshown. As would be understood, the pattern illustrated is exemplary andit is to be understood that a variety of patterns, hole arrangements,and hole spacing are encompassed in the design. For example, an interiorportion of the plate may be devoid of apertures 1214, and apertures maynot be formed in a region extending from a center point of theshowerhead 1225 b. Based on the radial length of the showerhead, theshowerhead may include no apertures 1214 about the interior portion ofthe showerhead extending at least from the center point of theshowerhead to an area defined within at least 10% of the radial lengthof the showerhead. No apertures may additionally be included within aninterior portion 1014 of the showerhead extending from the center pointof the showerhead to an area defined within at least about 15%, 20%,25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50%, 60%, etc. or more. The apertures 1214 maybe sized in order to preferentially distribute a precursor, or restrictaccess through a portion of the showerhead 1225 b. For example, from acenter point of the showerhead 1225, the first apertures may be of anarea smaller than apertures disposed radially outward from the center.As shown, the apertures 1214 may be of increasing dimensions extendingoutward from the center. Such a configuration may provide beneficialdistribution, because precursors delivered from a central region of thechamber will be less restricted at the edge regions of the plate, whichmay enhance flow outward toward the edge region.

FIG. 12C illustrates an additional top plan view of a portion of chamber1200 along line A-A as illustrated in FIG. 12A. As shown, the showerhead1225 c may be a perforated plate or manifold. The assembly of theshowerhead may be similar to the showerhead as shown in FIG. 8 or 12B,or may include a design configured specifically for distributionpatterns within a confined processing space. Showerhead 1225 c mayinclude an annular frame 1210 positioned in various arrangements inchamber 1200. On or within the frame 1210 may be coupled plate 1212,which may have a disc shape and be seated on or within the frame 1210.In disclosed embodiments the showerhead 1225 b may be a single-piecedesign, and may be made of a dielectric material such as quartz, forexample. The plate may be of a variety of thicknesses, and may have anexterior portion 1210 thicker than an interior portion 1212, or viceversa. Showerhead 1225 c may have a plurality of channels definedthrough the plate that may have a similar arrangement or dimensioningcharacteristic as the apertures of plate 1225 b. For example, thechannels 1216 may be of increasing dimensions extending outward from thecenter, which may enhance precursor flow outward towards the edgeregions, which may provide more uniform flow. Various other arrangementsand configurations as would be understood from these examples aresimilarly encompassed in the disclosed technology.

FIG. 13 shows another exemplary processing chamber coupleable with aloading chamber according to the disclosed technology. As shown,combination processing chamber 1300 is shown having a substrate loadingsection and a substrate processing section disposed above and verticallyaligned with the loading section. Combination chamber 1300 may include alower chamber housing 1310, having one or more plates or components,that includes a first access 1312 configured to provide access to avacuum, inert, or clean atmosphere such as on the processing side orclean room side of a system. The lower chamber housing 1310 may alsoinclude a second access (not shown) on a second side of the lowerchamber housing opposite the first side of the lower chamber housing. Anexample structure illustrating both access ports may be seen in FIG. 1A,where loading chambers 106 include access slots on both the interfaceside 103 and transfer chamber side. The combination chamber 1300 mayadditionally include an upper chamber housing 1350, having one or moreplates or components, coupled with the lower chamber housing. The upperchamber housing and lower chamber housing may be coupled directly, ormay also be disposed in vertical alignment within a system frame 1313,such as a system body as previously discussed. The upper chamber housing1350 may include a third access 1352 on a first side of the upperchamber housing 1350, and the first side of the upper chamber housingmay coincide with the first side of the lower chamber housing. The upperchamber housing may also include an upper processing region 1360 atleast partially defined from above by a faceplate 1325 disposed withinthe upper chamber housing 1350.

Lower chamber housing 1310 may be configured for loading operations andcertain treatment operations in disclosed embodiments. Lower chamberhousing 1310 may define a lower substrate region 1320 in which asubstrate 1355 a may be disposed. The substrate may be positioned on abottom portion 1309 of the lower chamber housing 1310. Lift pins 1322may be used to raise a substrate 1355 a such that a transfer device suchas a robot blade may be used to retrieve the substrate. The lowersubstrate region may be at least partially defined from below by thebottom portion 1309 of the lower chamber housing 1310, and a temperaturecontrol device such as a heating mechanism 1311 may be disposed on or aspart of the bottom portion 1309 of the lower chamber housing 1310. Sucha heater may be operable to or configured to raise the temperature ofthe lower substrate region 1320 and/or a substrate 1355 a disposedtherein. For example, the heater may be configured to raise thetemperature of a substrate, either directly or indirectly, up to about150° C. or more. The heater may additionally be configured to raise thetemperature above about 150° C., 200° C., 250° C., 300° C., 350° C.,400° C., 450° C., 500° C., etc. or more in disclosed embodiments.

Because the lower substrate region may routinely receive substrates fromatmospheric conditions and transfer them to vacuum conditions, the lowersubstrate region 1320 may include components for and be configured to beevacuated from atmospheric pressure to a second pressure belowatmospheric pressure. Depending on the operations being performed in theprocess chambers, the evacuated pressure may be below a designatedatmospheric pressure or location-based atmospheric pressure. The lowersubstrate region 1320 may be configured to be evacuated below about 760Torr or less in embodiments, and may be configured to be evacuated belowor about 700 Torr, 600 Torr, 500 Torr, 400 Torr, 300 Torr, 200 Torr, 100Torr, 50 Torr, 40 Torr, 30 Torr, 20 Torr, 10 Torr, 9 Torr, 8 Torr, 7Torr, 6 Torr, 5 Torr, 4 Torr, 3 Torr, 2 Torr, 1 Torr, 100 mTorr, 50mTorr, 30 mTorr, 20 mTorr, 10 mTorr, 5 mTorr, etc., or less in disclosedembodiments.

Evacuating and re-pressurizing the lower substrate region 1320 may enacta stress upon the lower chamber housing 1310. The process may beperformed several times up to hundreds of times per day or more.Accordingly, the lower chamber housing 1310 may be configured tostructurally support pressure cycling within the chamber. The housing1310 may be reinforced, made of pressure-resistant materials or slightlyflexible materials, or otherwise capable of withstanding the enactedstress better than a single metal housing, for example. In disclosedembodiments, the lower chamber housing may be configured to structurallysupport pressure cycling from atmospheric pressure to less than or about5 mTorr and back to atmospheric pressure every hour. The chamber housing1310 may also be configured to support such pressure cycling everyhalf-our, 20 minutes, 15 minutes, 10 minutes, 5 minutes, 2 minutes, 1minute, etc. or less. The lower substrate region 1320 may also includeaccess ports (not shown) through which an inert fluid may be flowed. Forexample, prior to receiving a substrate from the factory interface sideor the second access in the lower chamber housing, the loading chambermay be pressurized with nitrogen or another fluid to maintain an inertenvironment or a moisture-free environment. Alternatively, after asubstrate has been processed and returned to the loading chamber forre-pressurization prior to transfer, the loading chamber 1320 may bepurged and/or pressurized with nitrogen or an inert fluid to prepare amoisture-free environment.

The upper chamber housing 1350 may be coupled directly with the lowerchamber housing 1310, or indirectly coupled, with a bottom region orlower portion 1348 of the upper chamber housing 1350. The bottom region1348 of the upper chamber housing 1350 may additionally include atemperature control device such as a heating plate 1345 in disclosedembodiments that may at least partially define the upper processingregion 1360 from below. The temperature control device 1345 may beconfigured to maintain the temperature of a substrate 1355 b disposedthereon between about 0° C. and about 800° C. in disclosed embodiments.The temperature control device 1345 may additionally be configured tomaintain the temperature up to, above, or about 0° C., 10° C., 20° C.,30° C., 40° C., 50° C., 75° C., 100° C., 125° C., 150° C., 200° C., 250°C., 300° C., 350° C., 400° C., 450° C., 500° C., 550° C., 600° C., etc.or more in disclosed embodiments. The substrate may be supporteddirectly on the temperature control device 1345 as shown, or may bedisposed on a substrate support device such as previously described withchamber 1200 of FIG. 12, where the substrate support device isconfigured to support a substrate along an edge region and suspend thesubstrate within the upper processing region 1360.

The temperature control device 1345 may be coupled with an exteriorsource 1330 disposed along a side of the lower chamber housing 1310, forexample, based on the coupling of the upper chamber housing 1350 andlower chamber housing 1310. A resistive heating element may be disposedin the bottom region 1348 of the upper chamber portion 1350, and mayreceive power from exterior source 1330. In disclosed embodiments fluidchannels may be defined in the bottom region 1348 of the upper chamberhousing 1350, or between the upper chamber housing 1350 and the lowerchamber housing 1348, and a temperature controlled fluid may be flowedthrough the channels to control the temperature within the upperprocessing region 1360. The fluid channels may further be definedradially outward toward the exterior source 1330 that may be configuredto provide the temperature control fluid to be directed through thefluid channels.

A chamber top cover or an upper portion of the upper chamber housing1303 may at least partially define an upper distribution region 1365from above along with the faceplate 1325 that may at least partiallydefine the upper distribution region 1365 from below. Further, a remoteplasma unit (not shown) may be coupled with the upper portion of theupper chamber housing. The RPS unit may be coupled with the upperportion 1303 of the upper chamber housing 1350 via remote transportpiping or coupling 1370. An additional coupling device 1372 may providethe distribution connection from the RPS device, and as shown maydistribute radical species between transport piping or coupling 1370 fortwo treatment chambers. Such an arrangement may be similar to, but witha different coupling from system 1000 as shown in FIG. 10, withdistribution unit 1030.

The upper distribution region 1365 may include a central distributionregion 1365 a and an edge distribution region 1365 b that are separatedor partitioned with partition section 1366. The edge distribution region1365 b may be annular in shape and be radially distal to the centraldistribution region 1365 a. A fluid and/or gas inlet assembly 1385 maybe positioned within the upper portion 1348 of the upper chamber housing1350, and may be configured to deliver precursors into the upperdistribution region 1365. The gas inlet assembly 1385 may be similar tothe gas inlet assembly or direct coupling illustrated in FIG. 12, forexample, and in disclosed embodiments may have characteristics as shownin FIG. 13. Gas inlet assembly 1385 may be at least partiallycharacterized by a cylindrical shape, and a lower portion of the gasinlet assembly may define a plurality of gas delivery apertures 1386radially distributed about the lower portion of the gas inlet assembly.The delivery apertures 1386 may be ports that open to a distributionregion within the top cover 1303 or gas inlet assembly 1385, and mayadditionally provide fluid access to fluid inlet channels defined withinthe gas inlet assembly 1385 and/or top cover 1303. In either scenario,the arrangement may be configured to deliver a precursor, such as aradical precursor to the gas distribution region 1365. Apertures (notshown) in the gas inlet assembly may provide the fluid access to the gasdistribution region 1365 and may be defined so as to provide a moreuniform delivery of precursors between the central distribution region1365 a and the edge distribution region 1365 b.

The gas inlet assembly 1385 may additionally include one or more bypassfluid channels configured to allow additional precursors to be deliveredseparate from a coupled RPS unit, for example. The assembly may includea bypass fluid channel that is configured to deliver at least oneprecursor around the cylindrically shaped portion of the gas inletassembly 1385. The bypass fluid channel may include a first bypasssection 1387 configured to direct the at least one precursor to thecentral distribution region 1365 a. The bypass fluid channel may furtherinclude a second bypass section 1389 configured to direct the at leastone precursor to the edge distribution region 1365 b. The bypasssections 1387, 1389 may be coupled with a single precursor inlet thatdelivers one or more precursors to both bypass sections, or may beseparately coupled with individual precursor inlets such that differentflow rates, precursors, etc., may be provided to affect processingconditions, deliver uniformity, etc. For example, if a similar precursoris delivered between both bypass sections, a higher flow rate may bedelivered to the second bypass section 1389 in order to provide enhancedflow along the edge region of the gas distribution region 1365 b.

The faceplate 1325 or showerhead may comprise any of the previouslydescribed showerheads or faceplates. Additionally, the faceplate 1325,top cover 1303, temperature control device 1345, and/or bottom region1348 of the upper chamber may be electrically or mechanically coupledwith a single or multi-position switch (not shown) that is operable toconnect the faceplate 1325 to an electrical power source and/or a groundsource in alternate switch positions. The bottom region 1348 of theupper chamber housing 1350 may be grounded such that when the faceplateis connected to the electrical power source a plasma is produced orignited in the upper processing region 1360. The plasma may excite oneor more precursors delivered through the bypass fluid channels 1387,1389, and through channels 1327 defined in showerhead 1325, or maymaintain radical species produced in an RPS unit and delivered throughgas inlet assembly 1385 and then through channels 1327. Channels 1327may be of a variety of configurations and arrangements, and may beconfigured to prevent or limit plasma species from flowing back up intodistribution region 1365 and/or inlet assembly 1385. The plasma may beany of the previously described plasma sources, and may includecapacitively-coupled plasma, inductively-coupled plasma, microwave,toroidal, etc. in disclosed embodiments. The bottom region 1348 of theupper chamber housing 1350 may be electrically coupled with chambercomponents or the system frame in disclosed embodiments, and may also beelectrically isolated from the rest of the upper chamber housing 1350 indisclosed embodiments. Chamber 1300 may also be configured to operate atany of the temperatures or pressures as previously described for otherchamber configurations.

The chamber 1300 may also be configured as a treatment chamber includinga chamber housing 1350 having a bottom portion 1348 coupled with asubstrate load lock chamber 1310. The chamber 1300 may include an inletassembly 1385 configured to receive fluids into an internal regiondefined within the chamber. A faceplate 1325 may be disposed within theinternal region and at least partially define a distribution region frombelow and a processing region from above within the chamber 1300. Thefaceplate may comprise quartz in disclosed embodiments, or mayalternatively be a conductive substance so as to be operable as anelectrode in disclosed embodiments where the chamber is configured toproduce a plasma in the processing region. The inlet assembly 1385 mayalso be lined or be made of a material such as quartz or also be coatedor lined with a material configured to be inert to radical speciesdelivered through the inlet assembly 1385.

The treatment chamber 1300 may include a separate source coupled withthe inlet assembly 1385 as opposed to the RPS coupling as illustrated.The arrangement may look like previously discussed configurationsincluding energy distribution units 1135, and 1140 from FIG. 11. Forexample an energy production unit may be coupled with the inlet assemblyand/or the top cover 1303 of the treatment chamber. For example, radiofrequency, direct current, or microwave, a subset of radio frequencies,based power discharge techniques may be used within the energyproduction unit to provide radical effluents to the treatment chamber.The activation may also be generated by a thermally based technique, agas breakdown technique, a high intensity light source, or exposure toan x-ray source. Alternatively, a remote activation source may be used,such as a remote plasma generator as illustrated, to generate a plasmaof reactive species which are then delivered into the chamber aspreviously discussed. As another example, the inlet assembly 1385 mayinclude a window and the energy production unit may include a lightsource configured to provide ultraviolet light or radiation into thechamber with or without additional precursors.

The systems and chambers as described may provide numerous benefits. Forexample, additional operations may be performed in a single systemenvironment that may reduce overall queue times for processing. Also,many of the operations may be performed in a moisture-free environment,which may limit or minimize halide contamination of silicon oxidesurfaces or nitride surfaces leading to aging defects. The systemsadditionally provide several advantageous options for passivation,material removal, and contaminant scavenging operations as will bediscussed along with the following processes and methods capable ofbeing performed in one or more of the components described above.

II. Process Movement

Utilizing the systems and/or tools described previously, processsequences may be developed that are designed to limit, remove, orcorrect aging defects or other contaminants located within a substratebeing processed. For example, by coupling chamber tools with the systemsuch that various operations may be performed without breaking vacuum ora clean environment, exposure to atmospheric conditions and/or containedmoisture may be limited. Turning to FIG. 14 is shown an exemplaryprocessing sequence of processing operations that may include etchingand/or treatment processes that may be performed in one or more chamberscoupled within a system. At operation 1410 a substrate may be passedunder atmospheric conditions to a loading chamber at an initial stage ofprocessing. The substrate may be originated in a holding chamber such asFOUPs 102 as previously described, and may be held at atmospheric or atgeneral factory conditions. By atmospheric is generally meant thenatural or induced conditions of the location in which the systems arecontained. For example, locational considerations such as elevation,temperature, humidity, etc. may affect the atmospheric conditions.Additionally, a factory environment may be positively or negativelypressured to a certain degree, however these are still consideredatmospheric as would be understood. Once received by the loadingchamber, the loading chamber may be evacuated at operation 1420 to asystem pressure or station pressure that is similar to one or morechamber tools or the transfer station environment, which may bemaintained under vacuum conditions at all times.

The substrate may then be passed to a process chamber at operation 1430within which one or more system operations may be performed. Forexample, the substrate may have been previously patterned, etched, orprocessed to a certain degree prior to being delivered to the currentsystem tool. In certain scenarios one or more deposition processes mayhave already occurred that may have included deposition of one or moredielectric layers such as native oxide or nitride layers formed on asubstrate, such as a silicon substrate. In such a case, the system maybe configured to perform one or more etching or treatment operations.Alternatively a patterned or clean substrate may be delivered to thesystem for an initial deposition of a thermal, flowable, or other oxidefilm followed by etching and/or treatment operations. If an initialdeposition is to be performed, the substrate may be delivered to one ofa pair of tandem deposition chambers for deposition of a silicon oxidematerial at operation 1430. If the substrate includes already adeposited layer such as a native oxide layer, for example, the processperformed at operation 1430 may include an oxide etch. Additionally, asilicon oxide etch may have been performed, and a silicon or nitrideetch may be performed at operation 1430 in a chamber configured toperform such an etching operation. The operation may be a selectiveetching operation configured to etch silicon or silicon nitride at ahigher rate than exposed silicon oxide. The etching operation mayinclude the use of plasma species that may include halide species indisclosed embodiments.

The substrate may optionally be transferred to one or more additionalprocess chambers in operation 1440. For example, if an oxide etch wasperformed at operation 1430, the substrate may be transferred to anadditional chamber configured to perform a silicon or nitride etchingprocess at operation 1440. Additionally, if a deposition such as anoxide deposition was performed at operation 1430, the substrate may betransferred to a chamber configured to perform an oxide etch atoperation 1440. The substrate may then further be transferred to anadditional chamber, or the additional process chamber may be configuredor reconfigured to perform a silicon or nitride etching process as well.Various alternatives of such processing operations are similarlyencompassed as would be understood.

The process may optionally continue at operation 1450 where thesubstrate may be transferred to a treatment chamber such as treatmentchamber 1200 or combination chamber 1300 as previously described. In thetreatment chamber a post-etching process may be performed that isconfigured to remove material or scavenge contaminants, for example,from surfaces of the substrate. The treatment may involve a variety ofprocesses as previously described, or may include one of the treatmentsas will be described in further detail below. Subsequent to the optionaltreatment operations, the substrate may be transferred to a loadingchamber at operation 1460, which may be the same or a different loadingchamber as from which the substrate was previously received. The loadingchamber may be re-pressurized at operation 1470, or the vacuumenvironment may be alternatively removed such as by flowing an inert gasinto the chamber until the chamber is returned to the atmosphericconditions.

The substrate may optionally be transferred from the loading chamber toadditional chambers, such as a wet treatment chamber, at operation 1480.The treatment chamber may be maintained at atmospheric conditions indisclosed embodiments, and may also be maintained in an inertenvironment such as under a nitrogen-purged environment, for example.The substrate may be returned to the holding chamber or a differentholding chamber at operation 1490. Alternatively, the substrate may betransferred to a storage chamber for processed wafers in order tomaintain processed wafers separate from originally provided wafers, forexample.

Turning to FIG. 15, aspects of the process described with respect toFIG. 14 for wafer transport may be illustrated graphically over a topplan view of an exemplary processing system 1500. The processes andtransfers described may additionally be caused to be performed by acomputer system such as a system controller. In the illustratedconfiguration, a first transfer device 1504A may be used to remove asubstrate from a holding chamber 1502 a and transfer it along relativepath A1 to substrate loading chamber 1506A. The system controller maythen provide instructions to the load lock chamber 1506A to close andpump down to a desirable working pressure, for example, so that thesubstrate can be transferred into a transfer chamber 1510 which mayalready be in an evacuated state. The substrate may then be maintainedin a vacuum environment for the duration of processing in disclosedembodiments.

A second transfer device 1511 may be used to transfer the substrate fromthe evacuated loading chamber to a process chamber, such as processchamber 1508 b, along path A2. A process, such as an etching process ordeposition process, may be performed in the process chamber after whichthe substrate may be returned back along path A2 to the loading chamber1506 a. In one example, a silicon oxide etch is performed in the firstprocess chamber, or a silicon etch may be performed on a previouslyetched oxide substrate. Additionally, the substrate may be transferredalong path A3, for example, to an additional process chamber 1508 d, forexample prior to transferring the substrate to the loading chamber, inwhich an additional operation such as an etching process, depositionprocess, or treatment process may be performed. For example, if asilicon oxide etch was performed in the first process chamber, thesecond process chamber may be configured to perform a silicon or siliconnitride etching process. The system controller may also be configured toprovide instructions to a gas delivery system, and may provideinstructions for flowing precursors into the processing chambers. Theprocesses may be performed similarly to those described with respect tothe methods discussed below. The substrate may subsequently be processedin additional chambers, transferred back to substrate loading chamber1506 a, or additionally transferred to a chamber such as combinationchamber 1300, and disposed in the upper chamber of such an apparatus foradditional treatment and/or processing. As described previously, thetreatment chamber may be in vertical alignment to and coupled with theloading chamber 1506, and the substrate may be transferred to thechamber with the second transfer device prior to transferring thesubstrate back to the loading chamber 1506. The treatment chamber may beconfigured to perform an etching and/or scavenging operation to removehalide species from a surface of the silicon oxide in disclosedembodiments. The scavenging process may remove some, most, or all of ahalide species from a silicon oxide film without removing any of thesilicon oxide material, or by removing a portion of the oxide with thehalide. The scavenging operation may include a plasma process asdescribed below, and may additionally comprise an ultraviolet lightprocess, and electron beam process, and/or an ozone curing process. Allof the transfer operations from processing chambers and along suchrelative paths including A2, A3, and A4 may be performed with the secondtransfer device.

After processing or treatments have been performed, the second transferdevice may transfer the substrate back to loading chamber 1506 a, or toan alternative loading chamber such as 1506 b, for example, and vacuumconditions may be removed from the loading chamber. The substrate may beheated within the loading chamber 1506 for a period of time after thesubstrate is returned to the loading chamber, or after a processedsubstrate is directed into a loading chamber. The control system, forexample, may additionally provide instructions causing a heater to beengaged that heats the loading chamber from a first temperature up to asecond temperature of greater than or about 200° C. in embodiments. Thesubstrate may be transferred back to holding chamber 1502 from theloading chamber 1506 a using transfer device 1504, for example, and mayadditionally be transferred to a different holding chamber or storagechamber along path A7. In disclosed embodiments the holding chamber isthe storage chamber. Additionally, from loading chamber 1506 a, thesubstrate may be transferred along path A5 with the first transferdevice to a wet etching station 1505 prior to being transferred to theholding chamber 1502. Instead of returning to the holding chamber 1502,the substrate may be transferred to storage chamber 1507 that is aseparate chamber from the holding chamber and may be used to houseprocessed substrates. The storage chamber or holding chamber may becontinuously purged with an inert fluid in disclosed embodiments. Inthis way, the housed substrates may be maintained in an inert and/ormoisture-free environment. Some or all of these processes may beperformed in conjunction to provide system processes that reduce halidecontamination and/or aging defects in a substrate system or duringsubstrate processing. By providing several of these operations asdescribed within the vacuum environment, halide contamination may becontrolled, limited, or removed from processed substrates. The followingwill describe in further detail certain of the specific processes thatmay be performed in certain or a combination of the chambers and systemsdescribed, and performed along the process paths disclosed.

III. Etching Process and Methods for Passivation

Reference is now made to FIG. 16, which describes an exemplary substrateprocessing deposition and etch method. Such a method may be performed intwo or more chambers coupled with an exemplary system of the disclosedtechnology. In substrate processing, semiconductor wafers may firstrequire a protective layer to be formed over the substrate forprotection from subsequent operations. Such a film may be a thininsulator, such as less than about 5 nm down to about 10 Å or less,formed over the surface of the substrate and may be termed a nativelayer. The film may be an oxide film formed over the silicon and incases may be silicon oxide. The silicon may be amorphous, crystalline,or polycrystalline, in which case it is usually referred to aspolysilicon. Although high quality processes may produce specifically orpredominantly silicon dioxide films, because of the nature of theprocesses used that may be used for the native oxide formation, thefilms may include other silicon and oxygen bonding structures, and mayadditionally include additional constituents including nitrogen,hydrogen, carbon, etc. Such an oxide may be formed at operation 1610.The oxide formation may occur in one of the chambers of the describedsystems, or may be formed in a different processing system and deliveredto the presently described systems with a previously formed oxidematerial previously formed. The oxide material may be formed over asilicon substrate, and may additionally be formed over silicon nitridefilms or under silicon nitride films, for example. If formed in thepresent processing systems, the substrate may then be transferred to anetching chamber as previously described, or if delivered to the systemin such a form, the substrate may then be received through the systeminto a processing chamber as previously described.

In disclosed embodiments, an underlying silicon or silicon nitridematerial may be exposed for processing. During various wet or dryetching processes, however, a chemistry profile used to selectively etchsilicon or silicon nitride may not etch silicon oxide, or may minimallyetch silicon oxide. Conversely, a process used to selectively etchsilicon oxide may not etch silicon or silicon nitride, which in eithercase may be beneficial, however if both types of materials are includedon the substrate two types of etching processes may be needed. Aninitial etch of the native oxide may be performed in an etching processselective to silicon oxide that will expose an underlying silicon orsilicon nitride material. A subsequent etch process selective to siliconor silicon nitride may then be performed that does not etch or minimallyetches silicon oxide.

A silicon oxide etch may be performed at operation 1620 to expose aregion of silicon or silicon nitride. The etch process may be performedin a chamber coupled with one of the previously described systems, suchas a chamber similar to chambers illustrated in FIG. 3, 4, 5, or 6, forexample. A flow of nitrogen trifluoride, or another fluorine orhalide-containing precursor, may be initiated into a plasma regionseparate from a processing region in which a substrate resides. Ingeneral, a fluorine-containing precursor may be flowed into the plasmaregion, such as either an RPS or plasma processing region as previouslydescribed, and the plasma effluents formed in the remote plasma regionmay then be flowed into the substrate processing region. Ammonia may besimultaneously flowed into the substrate processing region to react withthe plasma effluents, and the ammonia may or may not be passed throughthe remote plasma region, and may be only excited by interaction withthe plasma effluents.

The patterned substrate may be selectively etched such that the siliconoxide is removed at a significantly higher rate than the silicon nitrideor silicon. The reactive chemical species may be removed from thesubstrate processing region, and the silicon oxide etching operation maybe complete. Such a process may achieve etch selectivities of over 100:1and up to 150:1 for the silicon oxide etch rate compared to the siliconnitride etch rate. The silicon oxide etch rate may exceed the siliconnitride etch rate by a multiplicative factor of about 100 or more. Thegas phase dry etches may also achieve etch selectivities of siliconoxide relative to silicon including polysilicon of over 100:1 and up to500:1 for the silicon oxide etch rate compared to the silicon etch rate.The silicon oxide etch rate may exceed the silicon etch rate by amultiplicative factor of about 300 or more. The presence of hydrogen andfluorine may allow the formation of solid byproducts of (NH₄)₂SiF₆ amongother compositions at relatively low substrate temperatures.Additionally, by controlling the temperature sufficiently, formation ofsolid residue may be substantially avoided or eliminated to furtherprotect underlying features of the structures. Additional examples ofetching and deposition processes and chambers that may be used inconjunction with such an etch process are described in co-assignedapplication No. 61/702,493 titled “Radical-Component Oxide Etch,” andfiled Sep. 18, 2012, the entire contents of which are herebyincorporated by reference for all purposes not inconsistent with thepresent disclosure.

After regions of silicon or silicon nitride have been exposed foretching, the substrate may be transferred to another chamber for thesilicon or silicon nitride etching performed in operation 1630. The etchprocess may be performed in a chamber coupled with one of the previouslydescribed systems, such as a chamber similar to chambers illustrated inFIG. 3, 4, 5, or 6, for example. An oxygen-containing precursor may beflowed into a first remote plasma region fluidly coupled with asubstrate processing region in which a substrate resides, while a plasmais formed in the first remote plasma region to produce oxygen-containingplasma effluents. Such a remote plasma region may be an RPS unit coupledwith the chamber in disclosed embodiments. The oxygen-containingprecursor may include nitrogen dioxide among other oxygen and/ornitrogen-containing precursors. The precursor may be dissociated in theplasma to produce a variety of plasma effluents that may include O*,NO*, and other species useful in etching operations.

A fluorine-containing precursor may be flowed into a second remoteplasma region that is separate from, but fluidly coupled with, theprocessing region. The second remote plasma region may be an additionalRPS unit, or may be a partitioned plasma region separate from theprocessing region but within the chamber, for example. A plasma may beformed in the second remote plasma region during the precursor delivery,and the plasma may be used to produce fluorine-containing plasmaeffluents. Several sources of fluorine may be used in the etchingprocess including nitrogen trifluoride, for example. Thefluorine-containing precursor may include nitrogen trifluoride, and thefluorine-containing plasma effluents that are produced may include NF*and NF₂* species. The plasma created in the second remote plasma regionmay be specifically configured to excite the fluorine-containingprecursor in such a way as to limit radical fluorine species or F*species such that the fluorine-containing plasma effluents consistessentially of NF* and NF₂* species.

The oxygen-containing plasma effluents and the fluorine-containingplasma effluents may be flowed into the processing region of thechamber. The exposed silicon and/or silicon nitride regions of thesubstrate may be selectively etched with the combination ofoxygen-containing and fluorine-containing plasma effluents. After theetching has been performed, the reactive chemical species may be removedfrom the substrate processing region, and then the substrate may beremoved from the processing region. When performed substantially asdiscussed, the methods may allow a region of silicon nitride to beetched at a faster rate than a region of silicon or silicon oxide. Usingthe gas phase dry etch processes described herein, etch selectivities ofover 10:1 with regard to the silicon and/or silicon nitride etch rate ascompared to the etch rate of silicon oxide may be achieved. The siliconnitride and/or silicon etch rate may exceed the silicon oxide etch rateby a multiplicative factor of up to or about 50 or more in disclosedembodiments. Additional examples of etching and deposition processes andchambers that may be used in conjunction with such an etch process aredescribed in co-assigned application No. 61/771,264 titled “EnhancedEtching Processes Using Remote Plasma Sources,” and filed Mar. 1, 2013,the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference forall purposes not inconsistent with the present disclosure.

The first and second etching operations may be performed at a variety ofoperating conditions as previously described, and may be performed atsimilar or different conditions. The pressure in the substrateprocessing region may be above or about 0.1 Torr and less than or about100 Torr, in disclosed embodiments, during the etching operations. Thepressure within the substrate processing region may also be below orabout 40 Torr and above or about 5 Torr or 10 Torr in disclosedembodiments, or may be between about 0.1 mTorr and about 10 Torr. Duringthe etching processes, the substrate may be maintained at or below about400° C., and may be maintained at or below about 300° C., 200° C., 100°C., 80° C., 75° C., 50° C., 25° C., 10° C., 0° C., or less. Thetemperature of the substrate may be about 100° C. or more and about 140°C. or less during the etching operations and may also be at or belowabout 50° C., 25° C., or 10° C. or less.

At least in part because of the high selectivities available in thedescribed processes, the silicon oxide layer may not require furtherprotection during the second etching operation, and is therefore exposedto the plasma species of the second operation despite that the siliconoxide is not etched, substantially maintained during the process, orminimally removed during the process. However, the radical fluorinespecies delivered into the processing region may still contact andbecome incorporated within the silicon oxide. As described above, thisincorporation may cause aging defects when moisture is introduced intothe system. Accordingly, several processes may be performed in order toprevent or mitigate aging defects. Because the etching processesdescribed may occur relatively early in the fabrication process, onesolution may involve limiting the amount of time the substrate ismaintained in an atmospheric environment. Accordingly, methods may beutilized to help mitigate or prevent surface reactions on the treatedsubstrate by limiting moisture interactions, as discussed with respectto FIG. 17 below.

As previously described, an optional etch of the oxide may have beenperformed at operation 1710, such as the first etching process describedabove. The first etching process may be selective to silicon oxide oversilicon, and may utilize a fluorine-containing precursor and a hydrogenand/or nitrogen-containing precursor in embodiments. An etching processthat is selective to silicon over silicon oxide may be performed atoperation 1720. The etching process may utilize a fluorine-containingprecursor and an oxygen-containing precursor as previously described,and may expose the silicon oxide surface to halide species, includingfluorine species such as radical fluorine. The residual fluorine speciesmay become incorporated into the substrate silicon oxide material. Thesubstrate may be subsequently heated at operation 1730 to a firsttemperature such as with a baking operation to remove any residualmoisture produced in the processes or within the system environment. Thesubstrate may subsequently be transferred or maintained in an inert ormoisture-free environment at operation 1740 that may remove some, all,or substantially all moisture from the environment housing thesubstrate.

The substrate may be heated in a chamber in which the etching operationwas performed, or may be transferred to an additional chamber, such as aloading chamber to be heated. By removing the substrate from the etchingchamber a subsequent etch may be performed while the substrate is heatedin the loading chamber, which may reduce or substantially reduce queuetimes. The heating operation may heat the substrate to above or about100° C., for example, and may heat the substrate to above or about 150°C., 200° C., 250° C., 300° C., 350° C., 400° C., etc. or higher indisclosed embodiments. Such a process may passivate the surface byremoving incorporated moisture, which may reduce the formation of agingdefects. The substrate may be maintained at the first temperature orheating temperature for a first period of time, which may be greaterthan or about 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 4 minutes, 5 minutes, 10minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes, etc. or more.

The inventors have surprisingly determined that heating the substratemay not remove aging defects until a certain threshold time has beenmaintained. Similarly, the inventors have determined that heating thesubstrate beyond a threshold temperature during that time mayadditionally affect the formation of aging defects. After the heating orpassivation operation, the substrate may be transferred to a storagechamber or holding chamber, or simply back to a FOUP from which thesubstrate may have originated. The storage chamber may be purged inorder to prevent moisture accumulation within the chamber until a stackof substrates has been processed and may be delivered to subsequentoperations or systems. For example, a purging fluid such as an inertfluid like nitrogen, etc. may be continuously flowed through the storagechamber to maintain the moisture-free environment. In disclosedembodiments, the chamber may be held at a slightly positive pressurewith the purging fluid to ensure that leakage into the storage chamberdoes not occur.

Testing has shown that such a passivation process may prove successfulfor a variety of wafer types and lengths of storage prior to subsequentprocessing such that aging defects do not form, or are limited on thesubstrate surface. However, the materials on a wafer may additionallyaffect the success of such a passivation process. For example, wafershaving silicon and silicon oxide materials have been shown to have no orlimited aging defects, such as within an acceptable margin, directlyafter the passivation operation as well as two hours, four hours, sixhours, etc., to twenty-four hours or more after the passivation process.When the substrate materials include nitride, however, aging defects maybe prevalent within one to two hours after passivation. Without beingbound to a particular theory, the inventors have determined that nitridematerials may include higher levels of residual fluorine species aftercertain operations. For example, when a selective silicon etch isperformed, remaining layers of silicon oxide and silicon nitride maystill be exposed to the etchant species, and radical species such ashalide species may be incorporated within the silicon oxide and/orsilicon nitride materials. Accordingly, when a plurality of wafers isstored in a chamber and the wafers include nitride films, the higherlevels of fluorine may be more susceptible to both aging defects andcross-contamination of materials. Accordingly, although the presentpassivation has been shown to be successful, additional operations maybe performed to both remove the contaminated oxide material, as well asto reduce or scavenge the incorporated fluorine species form thematerial films. These methods of material removal and halide scavengingwill be discussed in detail below.

IV. Methods for Removal

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (“XPS”) analysis has been performed bythe inventors to determine the extent and possible mechanisms previouslydiscussed relating to the aging defects. By varying the glancing angle,or depth within the film at which the analysis is performed, theinventors have determined that halide contamination may reduce withincreasing depth within the film. Accordingly, an upper surface of theexposed films, such as an exposed oxide film or nitride film, maycontain up to or over about 15 atomic % of fluorine or other residualhalide species. By removing an upper surface of the material, theresidual species may additionally be removed to reveal a surface of thematerial having lower amounts of residual halide or other contaminantspecies.

Exemplary methods of material removal and/or substrate etching are shownat FIG. 18. The methods may include similar etching operations asdescribed above with respect to FIG. 16. Each of the methods may beapplicable to silicon as well as silicon nitride materials. For example,a substrate may be provided in a system environment having a siliconmaterial and a silicon oxide material or layer overlying the siliconmaterial. The silicon oxide material may have been deposited in adifferent chamber system, or the system in which the material removalwill occur. At operation 1810, a first etching process may be performedthat etches the substrate and is selective to silicon oxide oversilicon. The methods may be similar to operation 1620 described earlier,and may include using nitrogen trifluoride and ammonia, for example toperform the etching operation. A second etching process may be performedat operation 1820 that etches the substrate and is selective to siliconover silicon oxide. The methods may be similar to operation 1630described previously.

The methods may also include a third etching process at operation 1830that etches the substrate and is selective to silicon oxide oversilicon. The operation may perform an etching process similar to thatdescribed above with respect to operation 1620. In this way, the firstand third etching processes may be similar etching processes, and may besubstantially similar or essentially similar in many respects.Accordingly, the first and third etching processes may include exposingthe substrate to a nitrogen-containing precursor and afluorine-containing precursor. The fluorine-containing precursor mayhave been flowed through a plasma to produce plasma effluents indisclosed embodiments. The second etching process may include exposingthe substrate to a fluorine-containing precursor and anoxygen-containing precursor, and the fluorine-containing precursor mayhave been flowed through a plasma to produce plasma effluents. Thesilicon oxide layer etched in the first etching operation may be exposedto the plasma effluents of the second etching process, which may includefluorine species, and residual fluorine species may be incorporated withthe silicon oxide layer. The species may be contained within thesilicon-oxide lattice, or specifically bonded at various sites withinthe material.

The first and third etching processes may be performed in a firstprocess chamber of the system, and the second etching process may beperformed in a second process chamber of the system. In this way, allprocesses may be performed within a single system environment, and undera maintained vacuum or inert environment. Accordingly, the residualfluorine that may be incorporated with the silicon oxide material in thesecond etching process may not be exposed to atmospheric conditionsprior to performing the material removal in the third etching process.In this way, aging defects may be prevented or substantially preventedon the silicon oxide surface. The third etching process may remove apredetermined amount of material. For example, a test wafer of the stackmay be analyzed to determine a depth to which etching may be performedin order to reduce the residual fluorine incorporation below a thresholdlevel. For example, the third etching process may etch the silicon oxidelayer to remove a depth of at least about 5 Å of material. The thirdetching process may also etch the silicon oxide layer to remove a depthof at least 10 Å, 15 Å, 20 Å, 30 Å, 40 Å, 50 Å, 10 nm, etc., or more, ormay also be performed to remove less than or about 20 Å, 15 Å, 10 Å,etc. or less.

The methods may remove the oxide material by other methods or by acombination of methods. For example, operation 1830 may include treatingthe substrate with a third process. As discussed previously, the siliconoxide layer may be exposed to the second etching process, and the secondetching process may produce radical fluorine species, for example, andresidual fluorine species may become incorporated with the silicon oxidelayer. In an exemplary process, the third process may include directingplasma effluents at the surface of the substrate. The plasma effluentsmay be produced from an inert precursor, for example, and may beproduced from argon, helium, or other inert precursors. The plasmaeffluents may be produced in a remote region of a chamber, which may bethe chamber in which either the first or second etching process wasperformed, or may be produced in a third etching chamber similar to anyof the chambers described in FIGS. 3, 4, 5, and 6. For example, an inertprecursor, such as an argon precursor may be flowed through an RPS orinternal plasma region of a process chamber to produce radical argonspecies. The species may be directed at the surface of the substrate toperform a sputtering of the surface. The plasma species may etch a toplayer of the substrate, and may remove the top surface from the siliconoxide layer from the bombardment of the surface with plasma species. Theremoved material may be extracted from the chamber, revealing a siliconoxide layer with a lower level of contamination. The sputteringoperation may remove similar levels of material as the third etchingprocess described above.

As another example, operation 1830 may include treating the substratewith a third process, and the third process may include a wet etchingprocess. In such a system, the first, second, and third etchingoperations may all be performed in different process chambers. The wetetching process may comprise hydrofluoric acid, such as DHF, and may beperformed to remove up to about 20 Å of the silicon oxide layer or less.The wet etching process may also remove up to about 15 Å or less, 12 Åor less, 10 Å or less, etc. in disclosed embodiments. If a system suchas the systems previously described is utilized, the wet etching chambermay be incorporated outside of the vacuum environment. In alternativeconfigurations, the combination process chamber may be configured toperform a wet etch process, which would then be performed in the vacuumprocessing environment, for example. However, if the substrate is beingremoved from the vacuum environment to perform the wet etch, thesubstrate may be exposed to moisture. This may be acceptable becauseeven if initial aging defects were to begin to form, they may be removedfrom the surface of the substrate when the wet etch is performed,thereby overcoming the defect formation. Additionally, a passivationprocess may be performed such as previously described that provides adegree of protection prior to performing the wet etch process, if it isto be performed at a later time and not directly after processing. Apassivation process may similarly be performed with the other removalprocesses described as well. The third process may also be performedwith deionized water such that the process includes exposing the siliconoxide layer to deionized water in a wet processing station. Thedeionized water may not perform an etching operation, but may instead atleast partially scavenge the halide species from the silicon oxide layerwithout etching the silicon oxide layer. Accordingly, if the wet processstation is contained outside of the vacuum environment, a passivationprocess such as described previously may be performed prior totransferring the substrate from the vacuum environment in order toprovide further protection against the formation of aging defects.

Any of the described material removal methods may remove material fromthe silicon oxide layer in order to reduce the atomic fluorine or halideconcentration below or to about 20 atomic % fluorine. An amount ofmaterial may also be removed to reduce the halide contamination below orabout 18 atomic %, 15 atomic %, 12 atomic %, 10 atomic %, 9 atomic %, 8atomic %, 7 atomic %, 6 atomic %, 5 atomic %, 4 atomic %, 3 atomic %, 2atomic %, 1 atomic %, or 0 atomic %, in which case all or essentiallyall residual halide species is removed. Such an operation may besuccessful for a variety of situations. However, as native oxide layerscontinue to shrink with substrate scaling, the silicon oxide layer maybe reduced below about 5 nm, 3 nm, 2 nm, 1 nm, 5 Å, etc. or less. Insuch situations, additional treatment methods may also be useful that donot further reduce the thickness of the silicon oxide layer or siliconnitride layers in alternative examples. Accordingly, scavengingoperations such as with the use of deionized water or other processesmay be useful as well, and will be described further below.

V.: Methods for Scavenging

Scavenging operations may be performed to reduce or remove halideconcentrations in silicon oxide materials as well as other materials.The scavenging operations may remove the residual species from thematerial layers without removing material from the oxide layers.Accordingly, the oxide layers may be maintained or substantiallymaintained in the scavenging operations. Certain scavenging operationsmay additionally remove an amount of the oxide materials, but theremoval may be limited or minimized in disclosed embodiments. Thescavenging operations may be performed by interaction with theincorporated halide species, or may provide energy treatments that mayphysically or chemically separate the halide species from the oxide ornitride materials.

Turning to FIG. 19 is shown a halide scavenging operation that mayinclude removing contaminants from a processed substrate having exposedsilicon and silicon oxide surfaces. The substrates may additionally oralternatively include nitride regions or other metal regions or materialregions as previously described. At operation 1910 an optional etchingprocess may be performed to etch a silicon oxide material to expose anunderlying silicon or silicon nitride material. Previous operations mayhave been performed prior to the optional etching operation including adeposition or other processes as previously described in relation toFIG. 16, for example. The optional etching process may be performed thatetches the substrate and is selective to silicon oxide over silicon. Theoptional etching may be similar to operation 1620 described earlier, andmay include using nitrogen trifluoride and ammonia, for example toperform the etching operation.

A subsequent etching process may be performed at operation 1920 thatetches a silicon and/or silicon nitride material. The etching processmay be selective to silicon or silicon nitride over silicon oxide, forexample, and may be similar to operation 1630 previously described. Theetching process may produce radical species and residual species fromthe radical species may be incorporated with the exposed silicon oxidelayer. The etching process may include exposing the substrate to afluorine-containing precursor and an oxygen-containing precursor. Eitheror both of the fluorine-containing precursor and oxygen-containingprecursor may have been flowed through a plasma to produce at least aportion of the radical species, which may include radical fluorinespecies, for example. The etching process may not etch any of thesilicon oxide layer or may substantially not etch the silicon oxidelayer. The fluorine or other radical halide species may be incorporatedwith the silicon oxide material in a profile such that the extent ofincorporation diminishes at increasing depths of the silicon oxide film.

The substrate may be treated after the etching process at operation 1930to remove at least a portion of the residual species from the siliconoxide surface. The treatment may include a variety of operations thatmay be performed within the chamber that performed the etching processat operation 1920, or may be performed in an additional chamber to whichthe substrate is transferred. For example, the treatment may include oneor more of a thermal treatment, a UV radiation or light treatment, anelectron beam treatment, a microwave treatment, a curing treatment, or aplasma treatment in disclosed embodiments. The operations may beperformed at a variety of temperatures and pressures depending on theoperations, and may be performed at any temperature included in therange from between about 0° C. and about 800° C. For example, a thermaltreatment operation may be performed at a temperature between about 400°and about 600° C., among other temperatures and ranges within thebroader range, while a plasma operation utilizing a remote plasmanitrogen-containing precursor may be performed at temperatures betweenabout 0° C. and 100° C., among other temperatures and ranges within thebroader range. The treatments may similarly be performed at any pressureincluded in the range from between about 0.5 mTorr up to about 700 Torr.For example, an inductively coupled internal plasma operation may beperformed at a pressure below about 1 Torr, among other pressures andranges within the broader range, while a curing operation may beperformed above about 500 Torr, among other pressures and ranges withinthe broader range.

The treatment operations may reduce the amount of residual halide withinthe silicon oxide film and may reduce the atomic percentage of halides,such as fluorine, from within the silicon oxide or nitride material tobelow or about 20%. The treatments may additionally reduce the atomicpercentage of halides, such as fluorine, to below or about 18%, 15%,12%, 10%, 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1%, or 0% in which case thehalide may be completely or essentially removed from the silicon oxidematerial. Additional materials may be scavenged or treated in similarways.

The substrate may be transferred to a treatment chamber for thetreatment, and the treatment chamber may include a combination chambersuch as those discussed previously with FIGS. 12 and 13, for example.The substrate may be maintained under vacuum during the transfer to thetreatment chamber, and may be maintained in a moisture-free orsubstantially moisture-free environment until the treatment has beencompleted. Treating the substrate may include exposing a treatmentspecies to an energy source to produce energized treatment speciesconfigured to interact with or upon the residual radical species. Thetreatment species may include hydrogen-containing precursors,oxygen-containing precursors, nitrogen-containing precursors, and inertprecursors. The precursors may include a combination of precursorsincluding nitrogen, helium, argon, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, ammonia,nitrogen trifluoride, water, and ozone among other precursors. Indisclosed embodiments the energy source used to energize the treatmentspecies may include a plasma. The plasma may be an internally generatedor externally generated plasma with respect to the treatment chamber,and may be a capacitively-coupled plasma, an inductively-coupled plasma,a microwave plasma, and a toroidal plasma. The plasma may be formed atany of the plasma conditions previously described. The energizedtreatment species may bond with the residual radical species indisclosed embodiments. For example, the energized treatment species mayinclude a hydrogen-containing precursor that includes radicalhydrogen-containing species after being energized. The radicalhydrogen-containing species may bond with the residual halide species,such as residual fluorine species for example, and withdraw it from thesilicon oxide surface. The formed composition of the residual fluorinespecies and radical hydrogen-containing species may be subsequentlyevacuated from the treatment chamber. The treatment may be performed fora period of time that may range from about 1 second up to about 30minutes or more. For example, operations performed at higher plasmapowers may be performed for 120 seconds or less, for example, whileoperations performed without plasma power may be performed for 5 minutesor more, for example.

After the treatment has been performed, the substrate may be furthertransferred to a passivation chamber for a passivation process. Thepassivation may also be performed in the treatment chamber in disclosedembodiments. For example, the substrate may be subsequently transferredto a loading chamber that is still within the vacuum environment and thepassivation may be performed there, which may reduce process queue timesin other chambers. By performing the passivation in the loading chamber,for example, the substrate may be maintained under vacuum during thetransfer to the passivation chamber, and during the entire process. Thepassivation may include heating the substrate to a temperature greaterthan or about 150° C. for a period of time greater than or about twominutes. The passivation may also include any of the parameterspreviously discussed for passivation and processing.

FIG. 20 illustrates an alternative scavenging operation that may beperformed within a chamber performing the silicon or nitride material.The method may include removing contaminants on a substrate that has anexposed silicon oxide region and an exposed non-oxide region. Thenon-oxide region may include a silicon, silicon nitride, or ametal-containing material region. The metals may include one or moretransition metals, and may include copper, tungsten, titanium, etc.,among oxides and other materials incorporating metal species. Asubstrate may be delivered into a chamber for an etching process on thesubstrate that may include the exposed materials. The chamber may be asubstrate processing chamber such as any of those previously describedincluding from FIG. 3, 4, 5, or 6. Previous deposition and etchingprocesses such as those explained with respect to FIG. 16 may beperformed in additional chambers and/or systems as previously describedin order to form and/or expose the materials. A fluorine-containingprecursor may be flowed into a remote plasma region of the substrateprocessing region of the substrate processing chamber while forming aplasma in the remote plasma region to produce plasma effluents. Atoperation 2010 the exposed non-oxide material may be etched utilizingthe plasma effluents. The silicon oxide region may not be etched duringthe process, but may be exposed to the plasma effluents. As such, aportion of the fluorine species or fluorine-containing plasma effluentsmay be incorporated with the silicon oxide region.

At operation 2020, after the etching is completed, at least oneadditional precursor may be flowed into the processing region. Forexample, a first treatment precursor may be flowed into the remoteplasma region or an alternate remote plasma region of the substrateprocessing chamber to produce treatment plasma effluents. At least oneadditional treatment precursor may be flowed into the substrateprocessing region where it may react with the treatment plasmaeffluents. At operation 2030, the silicon oxide region may be exposed tothe treatment precursors including the treatment plasma effluents inorder to remove residual plasma effluents from the silicon oxide region.The treatment plasma may at least partially dissociate the at least oneadditional treatment precursor in the substrate processing region. Theat least partially dissociated at least one additional treatmentprecursor may interact and/or bond with the fluorine speciesincorporated with the silicon oxide region.

The treatment precursor may include an inert precursor, and may alsoinclude a nitrogen-containing precursor and a hydrogen-containingprecursor, among other precursors. The treatment precursor may includeone or more of nitrogen, helium, argon, and xenon, as well as precursorscontaining one or more of those species. The at least one additionaltreatment precursor may include a hydrogen-containing precursor and/or anitrogen-containing precursor. The exposure to the treatment precursorsmay or may not partially remove the silicon oxide region or a portion ofthe silicon oxide region. The exposure may also remove at least aportion of the fluorine species while maintaining or essentiallymaintaining the silicon oxide material. The method may be performedentirely in a single chamber, and the a vacuum environment within thechamber may be maintained throughout the entire process. The chamber mayadditionally be moisture-free such that the entire method is alsoperformed in a moisture-free environment. The exposure may be performedat one or more temperatures between about 0° C. and about 800° C., andthe exposure may be performed at one or more pressures between about 1mTorr and about 700 Torr.

An alternate variation may also be performed to remove contaminants on asubstrate having an exposed silicon oxide region and an exposednon-oxide region. The method may also include flowing afluorine-containing precursor into a remote plasma region of a substrateprocessing chamber fluidly coupled with a substrate processing region ofthe substrate processing chamber. A plasma may be formed in the remoteplasma region while the precursor is flowed through in order to producefluorine-containing plasma effluents. The silicon oxide region may beexposed to the plasma effluents although it may not be etched, and assuch plasma species including fluorine-containing plasma effluents maybe incorporated into the silicon oxide region. At operation 2010 theexposed non-oxide region may be etched utilizing the plasma effluents.At least one treatment precursor may be flowed into the substrateprocessing region at operation 2020, and at operation 2030 the siliconoxide region may be exposed to the at least one treatment precursor toremove at least a portion of the fluorine-containing plasma effluents.

The at least one treatment precursor may not be passed through a plasmaprior to being flowed into the substrate processing region, and theprocessing region may be maintained plasma-free during the exposureoperation. Flowing at least one treatment precursor may include firstflowing water vapor into the process chamber. The water vapor may beinjected into the process chamber and the temperature of the chamber maybe adjusted at one or more times before injecting the water and/or afterinjecting the water vapor to condense the water vapor on the surface ofthe silicon oxide region. A nitrogen-containing precursor may then beflowed into the substrate processing region, and the nitrogen-containingprecursor may include ammonia, for example. In such a process, the watermay first interact with the fluorine species incorporated with thesilicon oxide material, which may form hydrogen fluoride and remove itfrom the silicon oxide material. The ammonia may then interact with theformed hydrogen fluoride to produce solid byproducts ofnitrogen-and-fluorine-containing species that may include NH₃F and/orNH₃HF among other materials as previously described. Although theprocess described utilizes water in the chamber, by manipulating thetemperature and utilizing ammonia as described, as opposed to producingaging defects, the process may instead remove the halide species withthe described reactions.

The temperature may be maintained at a first temperature during theinteraction, and then raised to a second temperature or above athreshold temperature in order to decompose and evaporate the byproductssuch as by sublimation. The first and second temperatures may be any ofthe previously disclosed temperatures, and the first temperature may beat or below about 100° C., for example, while the second temperature maybe at or above 100° C., for example. The process may proceed withoutremoving the silicon oxide material, and may substantially maintain thesilicon oxide material in disclosed embodiments. In disclosedembodiments the process may reduce the atomic % concentration offluorine within the surface layer of the silicon oxide below about 15%,and may also reduce the atomic % of fluorine species within the surfacelayer below about 12%, 10%, 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1%, or 0%,in which case the fluorine species is completely or essentially removedfrom the silicon oxide material.

VI.: Computer System

FIG. 21 illustrates an embodiment of a computer system 2100. A computersystem 2100 as illustrated in FIG. 21 may be incorporated into devicessuch as a process chamber controller, a process system controller, a gasdelivery system controller, and the like. Moreover, some or all of thecomponents of the computer system 2100 may also be incorporated at thespecific devices, or may be incorporated within a remotely locatedcontroller or a portable controller. FIG. 21 provides a schematicillustration of one embodiment of a computer system 600 that can performsome or all of the steps of the methods provided by various embodiments.It should be noted that FIG. 21 is meant only to provide a generalizedillustration of various components, any or all of which may be utilizedas appropriate. FIG. 21, therefore, broadly illustrates how individualsystem elements may be implemented in a relatively separated orrelatively more integrated manner.

The computer system 2100 is shown comprising hardware elements that canbe electrically coupled via a bus 2105 or may otherwise be incommunication, as appropriate. The hardware elements may include one ormore processors 2110, including without limitation one or moregeneral-purpose processors and/or one or more special-purposeprocessors, such as digital signal processing chips, graphicsacceleration processors, and/or the like; one or more input devices2115, which can include without limitation a mouse, a keyboard, acamera, and/or the like; and one or more output devices 2120, which caninclude without limitation a display device, a printer, and/or the like.

The computer system 2100 may further include and/or be in communicationwith one or more non-transitory storage devices 2125, which cancomprise, without limitation, local and/or network accessible storage,and/or can include, without limitation, a disk drive, a drive array, anoptical storage device, a solid-state storage device, such as a randomaccess memory (“RAM”), and/or a read-only memory (“ROM”), which can beprogrammable, flash-updateable, and/or the like. Such storage devicesmay be configured to implement any appropriate data stores, includingwithout limitation, various file systems, database structures, and/orthe like.

The computer system 2100 might also include a communications subsystem2130, which can include without limitation a modem, a network card,either wireless or wired, an infrared communication device, a wirelesscommunication device, and/or a chipset such as a Bluetooth™ device, an802.11 device, a WiFi device, a WiMax device, cellular communicationfacilities, etc., and/or the like. The communications subsystem 2130 mayinclude one or more input and/or output communication interfaces topermit data to be exchanged with a network, other computer systems,and/or any other devices described herein. Depending on the desiredfunctionality and/or other implementation concerns, a portableelectronic device or similar device may communicate system, chamber,and/or other information via the communications subsystem 2130. In otherembodiments, a portable electronic device, may be incorporated into thecomputer system 2100, as an input device 2115. In many embodiments, thecomputer system 2100 will further comprise a working memory 2135, whichcan include a RAM or ROM device, as described above.

The computer system 2100 also can comprise software elements, shown asbeing currently located within the working memory 2135, including anoperating system 2140, device drivers, executable libraries, and/orother code, such as one or more application programs 2145, which maycomprise computer programs provided by various embodiments, and/or maybe designed to implement methods, and/or configure systems, provided byother embodiments, as described herein. Merely by way of example, one ormore procedures described with respect to the methods discussed above,such as those described in relation to FIGS. 14 to 20, might beimplemented as code and/or instructions executable by a computer and/ora processor within a computer; in an aspect, then, such code and/orinstructions can be used to configure and/or adapt a general purposecomputer or other device to perform one or more operations in accordancewith the described methods.

A set of these instructions and/or code might be stored on anon-transitory computer-readable storage medium, such as the storagedevice 2125 described above. In some cases, the storage medium might beincorporated within a computer system, such as computer system 2100. Inother embodiments, the storage medium might be separate from a computersystem, e.g., a removable medium, such as a compact disc or removabledrive, and/or provided in an installation package, such that the storagemedium can be used to program, configure, and/or adapt a general purposecomputer with the instructions/code stored thereon. These instructionsmight take the form of executable code, which is executable by thecomputer system 2100 and/or might take the form of source and/orinstallable code, which, upon compilation and/or installation on thecomputer system 2100, e.g., using any of a variety of generallyavailable compilers, installation programs, compression/decompressionutilities, etc., then takes the form of executable code.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that substantialvariations may be made in accordance with specific requirements. Forexample, customized hardware might also be used, and/or particularelements might be implemented in hardware, software including portablesoftware, such as applets, etc., or both. Further, connection to othercomputing devices such as network input/output devices may be employed.

As mentioned above, in one aspect, some embodiments may employ acomputer system such as the computer system 2100 to perform methods inaccordance with various embodiments of the technology. According to aset of embodiments, some or all of the procedures of such methods areperformed by the computer system 2100 in response to processor 2110executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions, which mightbe incorporated into the operating system 2140 and/or other code, suchas an application program 2145, contained in the working memory 2135.Such instructions may be read into the working memory 2135 from anothercomputer-readable medium, such as one or more of the storage devices2125. Merely by way of example, execution of the sequences ofinstructions contained in the working memory 2135 might cause theprocessors 2110 to perform one or more procedures of the methodsdescribed herein. Additionally or alternatively, portions of the methodsdescribed herein may be executed through specialized hardware.

The terms “machine-readable medium” and “computer-readable medium,” asused herein, refer to any medium that participates in providing datathat causes a machine to operate in a specific fashion. In an embodimentimplemented using the computer system 2100, various computer-readablemedia might be involved in providing instructions/code to processors2110 for execution and/or might be used to store and/or carry suchinstructions/code. In many implementations, a computer-readable mediumis a physical and/or tangible storage medium. Such a medium may take theform of a non-volatile media or volatile media. Non-volatile mediainclude, for example, optical and/or magnetic disks, such as the storagedevice 2125. Volatile media include, without limitation, dynamic memory,such as the working memory 2135.

Common forms of physical and/or tangible computer-readable mediainclude, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk,magnetic tape, or any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, any other opticalmedium, punchcards, papertape, any other physical medium with patternsof holes, a RAM, a PROM, EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip orcartridge, or any other medium from which a computer can readinstructions and/or code.

Various forms of computer-readable media may be involved in carrying oneor more sequences of one or more instructions to the processors 2110 forexecution. Merely by way of example, the instructions may initially becarried on a magnetic disk and/or optical disc of a remote computer. Aremote computer might load the instructions into its dynamic memory andsend the instructions as signals over a transmission medium to bereceived and/or executed by the computer system 2100.

The communications subsystem 2130, and/or components thereof, generallywill receive signals, and the bus 2105 then might carry the signals,and/or the data, instructions, etc. carried by the signals to theworking memory 2135, from which the processors 2110 retrieves andexecutes the instructions. The instructions received by the workingmemory 2135 may optionally be stored on a non-transitory storage device2125 either before or after execution by the processors 2110.

Specific details are given in the description to provide a thoroughunderstanding of exemplary configurations including implementations.However, configurations may be practiced without these specific details.For example, well-known processes, structures, and techniques have beenshown without unnecessary detail in order to avoid obscuring theconfigurations. This description provides example configurations only,and does not limit the scope, applicability, or configurations of theclaims. Rather, the preceding description of the configurations willprovide those skilled in the art with an enabling description forimplementing described techniques. Various changes may be made in thefunction and arrangement of elements without departing from the spiritor scope of the disclosure.

In the preceding description, for the purposes of explanation, numerousdetails have been set forth in order to provide an understanding ofvarious embodiments of the present technology. It will be apparent toone skilled in the art, however, that certain embodiments may bepracticed without some of these details, or with additional details.Various configurations may omit, substitute, or add various proceduresor components as appropriate. For instance, in alternativeconfigurations, the methods may be performed in an order different fromthat described, and/or various stages may be added, omitted, and/orcombined. Also, features described with respect to certainconfigurations may be combined in various other configurations.Different aspects and elements of the configurations may be combined ina similar manner. Also, technology evolves and, thus, many of theelements are examples and do not limit the scope of the disclosure orclaims.

Where a range of values is provided, it is understood that eachintervening value, to the smallest fraction of the unit of the lowerlimit, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, between the upperand lower limits of that range is also specifically disclosed. Eachsmaller range between any stated value or intervening value in a statedrange and any other stated or intervening value in that stated range isencompassed. The upper and lower limits of those smaller ranges mayindependently be included or excluded in the range, and each range whereeither, neither, or both limits are included in the smaller ranges isalso encompassed within the technology, subject to any specificallyexcluded limit in the stated range. Where the stated range includes oneor both of the limits, ranges excluding either or both of those includedlimits are also included.

As used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an”,and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictatesotherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “an operation” includes aplurality of such operations, and reference to “the plate” includesreference to one or more plates and equivalents thereof known to thoseskilled in the art, and so forth.

Also, the words “comprise(s)”, “comprising”, “contain(s)”, “containing”,“include(s)”, and “including”, when used in this specification and inthe following claims, are intended to specify the presence of statedfeatures, integers, components, or steps, but they do not preclude thepresence or addition of one or more other features, integers,components, steps, acts, or groups.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of processing a substrate, the methodcomprising: transferring a substrate from a holding chamber to a loadingchamber through a factory interface with a first transfer device;evacuating the loading chamber such that the substrate is maintained ina vacuum environment; transferring the substrate from the evacuatedloading chamber to a process chamber with a second transfer device;transferring the substrate from the process chamber to the loadingchamber with the second transfer device; removing the vacuum conditionsfrom the loading chamber; transferring the substrate to a wet etchingstation using the first transfer device, wherein the wet etching stationis coupled with the factory interface and is accessible by the firsttransfer device; and transferring the substrate from the loading chamberto a storage chamber with the first transfer device.
 2. The method ofprocessing a substrate of claim 1, further comprising transferring thesubstrate from the process chamber to a treatment chamber in verticalalignment to and coupled with the loading chamber with the secondtransfer device prior to transferring the substrate to the loadingchamber.
 3. The method of processing a substrate of claim 2, wherein thetreatment chamber is configured to perform a scavenging operation toremove halide species from a silicon oxide material.
 4. The method ofprocessing a substrate of claim 3, wherein the scavenging operationcomprises a plasma process.
 5. The method of processing a substrate ofclaim 3, wherein the scavenging operation comprises a UV treatment. 6.The method of processing a substrate of claim 3, wherein the scavengingoperation comprises an e-beam treatment.
 7. The method of processing asubstrate of claim 1, wherein the storage chamber is continuously purgedwith an inert fluid such that the storage chamber comprises an inertenvironment.
 8. The method of processing a substrate of claim 1, whereinthe storage chamber is the holding chamber.
 9. The method of processinga substrate of claim 1, wherein the storage chamber is a separatechamber from the holding chamber.
 10. The method of processing asubstrate of claim 1, further comprising heating the substrate to afirst temperature for a first period of time subsequently totransferring the substrate to the loading chamber.
 11. The method ofprocessing a substrate of claim 1, wherein the process chamber comprisesa first process chamber, and the first process chamber is configured toperform an oxide etching process.
 12. The method of processing asubstrate of claim 11, further comprising transferring the substratefrom the first process chamber to a second process chamber prior totransferring the substrate to the loading chamber.
 13. The method ofprocessing a substrate of claim 12, wherein the second process chamberis configured to perform a silicon etching process.